It is often the first thing that happens when moving into a new home; painting the walls. Often no specialist is called in for this, because it is a job that can easily be done yourself. It is, however, important to proceed in the right way and to use the right materials. A wrong method when painting a wall or a room can quickly lead to visible stripes, color differences, paint splatters, cracks, differences in relief or uncovered parts of the wall. Therefore, proceed carefully and do not save on quality materials; the price difference does not have to be big, but the difference in paintwork certainly is!
What kind of wall should be painted?
Before you can start painting a wall or room, it is important to prepare the wall correctly. Depending on the state of the wall, this can take more or less time. For example, if it is a flat wall that already has a tight coat of paint on it, the preparation will take much less work than if it is a bare concrete wall, or even a wall with wallpaper. Each of these walls has a different preparation, but with each wall it is the case that an accurate preparation remains visible to the end result.
Remove wallpaper and adhesive residue from wallpaper
If there is wallpaper on the wall to be painted, it is advisable to remove the wallpaper from the wall. In the case of fiberglass wallpaper, the relief in the wallpaper may still suffice; then you can choose to be painted over this wallpaper. If it is a different type of wallpaper, such as paper wallpaper, it is always best to remove the wallpaper from the wall. Use a wallpaper steamer to remove the wallpaper. This makes the used wallpaper glue liquid again, so that the wallpaper can be pulled off the wall. After removing the wallpaper, there may still be some glue left behind, although this may not always be visible. Finding any residues of wallpaper glue is easy to do by moistening the wall. If the old wallpaper glue gets wet, it will become tacky. By going down the wall with your hands, it is therefore quickly established whether there are still glue residues that need to be removed. The glue residue can be removed by wetting it and wiping it off well with a sponge, possibly with additional use of a glue removal agent. Check afterwards if the glue is really gone, it may be necessary to wipe the glue a few times in a row before it is really gone.
Prepare a bare wall for painting
Now that the wallpaper and the glue residue have been removed from the wallpaper, we have in fact the same situation as with a bare concrete wall. The wall is now a bit rough and probably still has some damage that was not noticeable due to the wallpaper. If there are any gaps in the wall, these can be closed with filler or filler. Let this agent dry well and check again after drying whether the agent has not thickened too much and if a second treatment is necessary. The filler or putty can be spread by means of a putty knife. By smoothing this off in an equal movement, the filler forms an even layer with the wall and the hole is no longer visible. After the filler or filler is dry, sand the piece with a small grain to remove small irregularities. In any case, it is wise to sand the entire wall lightly, because it is always possible that there are small irregularities on the wall that only become visible after painting.
Preparations and degreasing
When the wall has been sanded, the pre-treatment of the wall can begin. For this, the wall must be degreased. We can do this by mixing a degreaser with water and applying it over the entire wall. Do not wet the wall thoroughly with this, but only slightly damp the wall with this. If the wall gets too wet, it takes too long to dry because the moisture will then penetrate into the wall. Gently applying the agent to the wall with a wrung-out cloth or sponge will degrease the wall and prevent the wall from becoming too damp during this process. For every wall it is wise to degrease the wall before painting; fingers that have run along the wall, grease from cooking or other greases may have made the wall slightly greasy, making the paint less likely to adhere.
Mask and cover before painting
Once the wall has been degreased, it should dry. This moment can be perfectly used to mask the floor and the surfaces that should not be painted. Use old curtains, old newspapers or plastic tarpaulins for the floor. The latter are for sale at any paint specialist or hardware store. Any skirting boards that may not be painted should also be removed. If that is not possible, for example because the skirting boards are glued and not screwed, the skirting boards can be taped. Use a good masking tape to mask the skirting boards, frames and any other obstacles that cannot be removed. The cheapest is not always the best choice; much lower quality painter’s tape tends to peel off too quickly, which can cause the taped area to be accidentally painted while painting.
Apply primer to a wall or room
When everything is taped and the wall is dry, the primer can be applied. To do this, use the following means:
- A paint roller
- A goat’s paw
- A wide knife
- A paint tree or tray to roll out the paint
- A stir stick
- The primer
- A bucket of water
- A sponge
Make sure the primer is stirred well with the stir stick and pour it into the paint tree. Apply paint to the cuticle leg and paint the corners and edges. Always work from a top corner downwards and apply edges of about 10 cm. The edges can be further colored with the paint roller. Make sure that the primer is not applied too thickly, as this can cause relief or color differences. The wide knife can be used for all kinds of small practical matters, such as for example putting back overhanging painter’s tape. Use the bucket of water with the sponge for paint splatters that end up in unintended places; if water-based paint is used, the sponge can quickly remove the splash before the paint dries.
Painting a wall or room
Let the primer dry thoroughly after application. Check for any unevenness in the wall and sand it away if necessary. After this, the first color layer can be applied. Work in the same way as when applying the primer. If good paint is used, it is often sufficient to apply two coats of paint. Lower quality paint often needs several coats to be opaque. It is also possible that an untreated wall, as it were, absorbs the paint. This will also require multiple layers. Good paint does not necessarily have to be expensive, it may cost a little more per liter, but fewer liters are needed. It is wise to discuss the choice of a good paint with a specialist.
When the last coat of paint has been applied, remove the masking tape immediately. When the paint has dried completely and the tape is only then removed, the paint may crack. After this, let the room ventilate well, paint fumes are not good for your health on the one hand and the room can dry faster on the other.
