How can I hide imperfections when painting my walls?
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You need to either fill the imperfections with poly fill and sand them smooth. Otherwise a low sheen paint will draw less attention to them than a glossy one. :)
Agreed, you'll need to fill the imperfections first and a flat or eggshell paint will help make them less noticeable.
A lot of imperfections come from improperly patching holes in the past. If you have raised areas on your walls from this problem, use a 5-in-1 tool to scrape the area until it is level. Then use lightweight spackle to fill in. Make the patch larger than the actual size of the area so that you can feather the patch out. Smooth the spackle as much as possible with your putty knife. Don't just glob a bunch of putty on a let it dry. You should need only a light sanding after each coat of putty dries. If your hole is deep or large, use several thin coats to fill the area, sanding smooth between each one. I use what I call the "feel test". close your eyes and run your hand over the patch, if the wall feels smooth, it is smooth. If you can feel a bump or a dip, it needs more work. After you have finished patching, prime. If you don't prime before painting, you will always see the patch no matter how many coats of paint you use. With just a little time and patience, you can really make a huge difference in your walls.
Hi Melinda, this video may help. Also, there are "texture" paints on the market now that might help, depending on how bad the imperfections are in your walls.
https://youtu.be/0j4chs3HhoA?t=4