Painting the interior walls is the easiest way to sanitize and disinfect the house. This might seem simple but it can turn into a disaster if you don’t pay proper attention. Interior painting is by far the most popular DIY activity and it’s easy to see why. Painting the walls is not very difficult and does not require specialist training.
All you need is a little patience, some practical knowledge and some useful advice. These whitewash tips can help even DIY beginners achieve professional-quality results.
Follow our tips to paint your home, quickly and neatly, as a professional would.
1. Prepare the surface
Renovation work on the walls of a house always begins with the preparation of the surface. This means that you have to scrape, sand, patch and fill in any cracks eliminating any imperfections on the surface of the walls. This is the least fun operation but it is the most important part. No paint, regardless of its cost, will hide a cracked or damaged surface.
2. Apply a primer
Treat the walls with a primer. Whenever you paint a new wall or paint over a dark colour you should pre-treat with a primer. But above all, it is a smart move! The primer has three main functions, such as:
- acts as a fixer because it stabilizes a stained, porous or oily surface
- evens the surface facilitating the coverage of the paint
- improves paint adhesion, significantly reducing bubbles and flaking.
Professional painters often use primer mixed with a small amount of finish paint. This trick greatly improves the paint’s ability to perfectly cover the treated surface.
3. Choose washable paint
How to choose the best washable interior paint if you are not an expert? In the market, there are high-cost washable paints, qualitatively better, and others with lower prices. Is it better products of dubious quality at a low cost or expensive, qualitatively better paints? The solution is to choose a middle ground: the important thing is that the washable paint has a good composition. High-end products have greater hiding power. Painting the walls with good paints allows you to do it faster without having to do this several times. The paint should be chosen according to the type of room to be painted: for the kitchen and bathroom, washable paint must be breathable and anti-condensation. For this, there are additives that prevent the formation of mould. There are also heat-insulating washable paints, to be used in particularly humid areas or areas facing north, which fight the formation of condensation and keep the walls warm, allowing energy savings.
For allergy sufferers, it is advisable to choose a sanitizing water-based paint based on acrylic resins. Whatever the choice, you must always pay attention to the indications on the jar about the amount of water needed to dilute the paint.
4. Canvas is better than plastic sheets
Plastic sheeting is a very economical solution to protect floors and furniture from paint splatters. However, it often happens that plastic sheets tear, compromising their function. For this reason, it is preferable to use canvas ones, which are extremely durable and tear-resistant. From a safety point of view, this fabric flattens on the floor and therefore there is less risk of tripping. The canvas absorbs the paint drops, unlike the plastic sheets, which, if sprayed with paint become slippery. Canvas sheets can be easily folded around corners and doors, which is impossible to do with plastic sheets.
5. Use an extension on the roller
Get a telescopic rod for the roller. The extensions are available in various lengths: a roller that extends about 1 meter will be great for painting rooms with ceilings just over two and a half meters high. Make sure the roller handle has a threaded hole at the end, then attach it to the extension rod. When purchasing the extension, look for one that has a soft, non-slip grip and rigid metalcore. Also, make sure that the threaded end of the telescopic rod is made of metal.
6. Use a paint bucket grid
Dipping the roller directly into the paint bucket is a rough and messy solution. A faster, tidier and more effective system: spread the paint directly onto a paint bucket grid. A grate is simply a rigid rectangular structure, made of metal or plastic, that hooks onto the edge of the bucket. Fill the bucket halfway with paint and hang the grid inside the bucket. Dip the roller sleeve into the paint and roll it against the grid to remove excess paint.
7. No cleaning of the brushes at the end of the day
Haven’t finished painting yet? You don’t need to waste time cleaning brushes and rollers. Just wipe off the excess paint and wrap them in cling film. If necessary, apply a double layer of film, then place brushes and rollers in the refrigerator to keep them cool. It may sound strange to you, but it works! The next day, it will be enough to remove the equipment from the fridge 30 minutes before painting.
Contact a professional
If you are not a handyman, it is preferable that you call on a professional Painters Mornington who will guarantee his work for a period of 10 years.
