All surfaces must be cured, clean, dry, and free from dirt, dust, rust, stains, grease, oil, mildew, wax, efflorescence, bond-breakers, and other contaminants. Remove all loose, peeling, or chalky paint by sanding, scraping, or other appropriate methods. Repair all
cracks, holes, and other surface imperfections with a suitable patching material. Repaired surfaces should then be sanded smooth and dusted clean. When required prime the surface with a suitable Veneto Deco primer. New plaster or masonry surfaces must be allowed to cure (28 days) before applying a base coat. Cured plaster should be hard, and have a slight sheen and maximum pH of 10; soft, porous, or powdery plaster indicates improper cure. Never sand a plaster surface; knife off any protrusions and prime plaster before and after applying the patching compound. Poured or pre-cast concrete with a very smooth surface should be etched or abraded to promote adhesion, after removing all form release agents and curing compounds. Remove any powder or lose particles.