How do you fix a poor paint job over un-primed drywall?

I am working on a remodeling project that had new drywall installed. A family member offered to do the painting for the project, but did not prime the fresh drywall. The wall now has an uneven looking finish, which is made worse because the paint is a semi-gloss. Basically, it has the problems described with not using a primer on new drywall.





I was wondering what would be the best approach to get a more even finish to the wall? Should I try to just add another coat or two of the paint, or should I try to sand the wall and use 1 to 2 coats of a general primer and then repaint? Would a general paint primer help any at this point or is it too late?





Thanks for any help or recommendations that can be provided.How do you fix a poor paint job over un-primed drywall?
Yes, you could sand the rough areas to smooth them out. And you can use a paint scraper to smooth really stubborn spots.





You can also spackle any areas that are extremely bumpy or dented...then sand these areas, too.





Primer doesn't really smooth a surface...it just makes the color under then primer less likely to bleed through. It also makes paint adhere better. You'll definitely need to prime if you want to cover Semi-Gloss paint.





Once you've prepared your walls, try painting in either a Satin finish or an Eggshell finish. Any imperfections will be less noticeable with these flatter finishes. Semi-gloss draws attention to imperfections...Satin and Eggshell help hide them.





I don't recommend Flat finish. Yes, it hides flaws, but it's very weak and scrapes off very easily. You can't scrub it.





So...basically, fix the flaws, prime, and repaint. This isn't that hard to fix.How do you fix a poor paint job over un-primed drywall?
Unless your relative left lumps on the wall in the paint, there is no need to sand the wall. Just put a coat of primer over the paint to seal it (you will probably need to use general-use primer instead of PVA drywall primer though, now that there is paint on the wall). Then, just put two coats over the primer as normal. I would use an eggshell finish for the walls, though. Gloss and semi-gloss are usually for trim and doors, and will still show defects in the wall more than a more matte paint will.
Is the entire wall painted? Finish it with the same paint used and watch for peeling. Drywall painted without primer basically just consumes more paint. Once the drywall is completely painted, allow 3 to 5 days to cure, depending on humidity. Once cured, seal it with a good sealer like Kilz and then apply the desired finish, 2 coats.
Give the wall a light sanding, then apply a coat of primer. Let it dry, then apply 2 coats of finish. Instead of semi-gloss, which will show every defect in the wall, use satin, or even eggshell. It has much lower sheen, but still cleans well. Hope this helps.
your choice, no sanding just prime one coat and paint or just paint, the wall is uneven because the drywall soaks up paint at a different rate in different places another one or two coats will straighten out the problem