How to Paint a Wall With Imperfections

Scrape off areas of chipped and peeling paint. Use a paint scraper to get the biggest spots, then sand down the remaining paint with a fine sandpaper. Sand down areas with old paint drips.

Clean the walls with a damp rag to remove dust for painting.

Fill small nail holes with spackle and a putty knife. Smooth with the putty knife and let the spackle dry according to instructions on the container. Sand it level with the wall.

Cover any holes slightly larger than nail holes with mesh joint tape and spackling, then smooth the area with a putty knife. Smooth the area further by sanding with fine sandpaper.

Cover the floors with tarps. Protect the baseboards (or floors, if you are painting the baseboards too) and edges of the ceilings with painter's tape applied all the way around the room. Tape tarps to the edges of the baseboards.

Paint the walls with primer to make the walls even and smooth and ready for paint.

Paint the walls with your chosen color. Paint on one or more layers as needed. Use a paint roller for large areas and apply paint evenly. Use a smaller brush for trim areas.