How to Prep Walls for Paint | This Old House https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/5ae6f531-f260-4b8f-ab31-5fa92118fd1b Organize cover plates, speed up spackling, and keep paint from bleeding behind the tape. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse TIP 1: Remove outlet and switch-plate covers, and mark their location on painter's tape. Stick the tape on the back of the cover with the screws to keep the pieces together. Keep all the covers in a resealable bag so that they're easy to find, and re-install, later on. TIP 2: Speed up prep time by cleaning the excess patching compound around the hole while it's still wet. Once it's dry, use a sanding sponge or a damp sponge to quickly smooth what little is left. TIP 3: Run a plastic putty knife or an old gift card over painter's tape to seal the tape, creating a good bond between the tape and the wall. Just don't use a metal putty knife—it could leave marks on the wall. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House INSIDER to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://bit.ly/34RYEP5 Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite How to Prep Walls for Paint | This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:57:38 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co How to Prep Walls for Paint | This Old House https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/5ae6f531-f260-4b8f-ab31-5fa92118fd1b All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.