Sanding walls before painting: What you need to do to get the best finish

Man using pole sander on plasterboard wall
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you’re giving your hallway, lounge, bedroom – or any other room in your home – a makeover, sanding walls is going to be part of the process. It may be a quick job if the walls are reasonably new or prepped previously. Or, it may take a lot longer than you hope. 

But it's crucial that you get your preparation right, and you need to make sure that any sanding is done properly. The better the prep, the better the finish. It will improve adhesion for paint and wallpaper and will help get rid of imperfections to produce a smooth-painted finish that will last for years.  

Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins is a freelance content creator with over two decades of experience working in digital and print and was previously the DIY content editor for Homebuilding & Renovating. 

He is a keen DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating the many homes he has lived in. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has a wide range of skills gleaned from working in the building trade for around 10 years and spending time at night school learning how to plaster and plumb.

He has fitted kitchens, tiled bathrooms and kitchens, laid many floors, built partition walls, plastered walls, plumbed in bathrooms, worked on loft conversions and much more. And when he's not sure how to tackle a DIY project he has a wide network of friends – including plumbers, gas engineers, tilers, carpenters, painters and decorators, electricians and builders – in the trade to call upon.