Painting Over Wall Board

Wrap the end of a pole sander with a tack cloth. Wipe the wallboard with the tack cloth to remove dust. Shake out the tack cloth when it becomes full of dust.

Wrap a 3/4-inch nap paint roller with masking tape, and then remove the tape to pull loose fiber off the paint roller. If the water-based wallboard primer you want to use is in powder form, mix it with water according to the primer's package directions. Pour the primer in a 5-gallon bucket.

Dip the paint roller in the primer, and let excess primer drip from the roller. Use even, overlapping strokes with the roller to apply a thin layer of the primer to the wallboard. Work in 4-by-4 foot sections, painting a W, shape and then filling in the W with primer. Put primer on all of the wallboard. Let the primer dry for 24 hours.

Sand the primer with the pole sander to remove rough edges. Wipe the wallboard with tack cloth.

Apply one coat of a semi-gloss interior latex paint by using the same method you used to apply the primer. Let that coat of latex paint dry, and then apply a second coat of the latex paint. Let the second coat of paint dry for 24 hours.