Painting Interior Walls in Your Home
How to spruce up interior walls?
Why not freshen up the interior walls with a fresh coat of paint and liven up the place?
A good family fun activity is to spruce up the interiors with a fresh coat of paint.
The excitement of choosing your favorite wall paint colors, preparing a list of tools and accessories to gather, and planning the execution of the task is exhilarating.
But before beginning, it is good to have some basics checked off.
What type of paint finish to select for an application?
There are several types of paint finishes. Each is best suited for a specific application.
Here is a list of paint finishes and applications:
Flat or matte finishes have low lustre or sheen, that is, it has the least amount of shine.
It is good at hiding small imperfections and is easy to apply. They provide great coverage but are the least durable type of paint.
The paint finish may be damaged easily if cleaners are used on it. They are best suited for low traffic areas, such as, bedrooms, living rooms, ceilings
Eggshell Finishes have soft sheen and is easy to wipe it clean. It is resistant to mold and mildew.
It covers some imperfections and is more durable than flat or matte finish. It is ideal for kid’s bedrooms, family rooms, hallways
Satin Finishes have rich pearly sheen and are easier to clean. It is little difficult to apply compared with flat or eggshell finish as the paint is thicker.
The finish, resists stains and fingerprints. It is good for high traffic areas, and it cleans easily.
It is best suited for playrooms, family rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room
High-Gloss Finish are shiny and are durable and washable. It must be carefully applied as it can show imperfections if applied incorrectly.
It is ideal for cabinets and high use surfaces.
Semi-Gloss Finish is glossy, durable and easy to clean. It shows imperfections if it is not properly applied.
It is best used for doors, windows, trims, kitchen, bathroom.
Ceiling Paint has flat sheen and is effective in hiding imperfections on smooth and textured surfaces.
As the flat finish does not reflect much light, it minimizes glare on the ceiling surface.
The ceiling paint has less splatter and, hence, it is apply on the ceiling.
What type of Sheen to choose?
Weigh your sheen options before selecting the paint. High sheen or glossy paint reflect more light than flat or matte sheen paint.
Reflective or high sheen paints cover imperfections better and are easier to wipe it clean. However, as it is a thicker paint its application is less smooth compared with flat or matte sheen paint.
What is a Primer?
The Primer coat provides a better bond between the surface and paint. The paint application goes faster and smoother if applied on primer coat.
Some paints include primer and paint.
Primer: Before applying paint on any surface wipe it clean or sand and clean the surface. Then apply a Primer coat to cover the base surface. The primer coat bonds better with the paint and the painting job goes faster and smoother.
What tools and accessories are needed for painting?
- Drop cloth and/or plastic sheeting
- Painter’s tape
- Sandpaper and sanding sponges
- Paint kits – trays, tray liners, rollers, extension pole for rollers, brushes, edgers
- Paint
- Putty Knife
- Patching compound
How to choose a paint color?
You can revitalize the interiors with deep shades, bright shades, or neutral shades.
Choosing a paint color depends on several factors, such as, lighting, size of the room, room layout, flooring, furniture and other interior decors, and of course your personal choice.
You can begin by asking a few questions:
- Do I want a dark shade or light and neutral colors?
- Do I want a bright color that pops up?
- Do I want to have an accent wall with dark or bright color?
You can bring color swatches from the paint section in your local hardware store and tape it to the wall. Check it throughout the day in various lighting conditions.
You can also buy small sample paint containers and paint on a section of the wall. Make sure to check the paint color in various lighting conditions.
Water Based or Oil Based Paint?
Water based or latex paint is commonly preferred in most instances as it is easy to apply and has less volatile organic compound (VOC). Also, all the tools can be cleaned using water.
If you are painting or giving a coat on previously painted surface, it is necessary to know if the paint was oil-based or water based.
If the existing surface was painted using oil based paint then either oil or water-based paint can be used on it.
If the existing surface was painted using water-based paint, then only water-based paint can be used on it.
How to prepare the walls for painting?
Cleaning and preparing surfaces for painting may seem to take time but doing it properly can make the paint job go smooth, clean, and fast.
Don’t gloss over or skip this step as it can give you a good paint finish and save you clean up time.
Preparing the room includes protecting your floor and furniture that is in the room. It is better to remove all the furniture.
Remove all the wall fixtures and nails. If you want to put the wall fixture back in the same spot, then leave the nail on the wall or note where it was located.
Cover the floor with canvas drop cloth.
You can also place a 2 mil plastic sheeting under the canvas in case you spill the paint and it soaks up by the canvas. The floor or carpet is protected by the plastic sheeting.
Plastic sheeting if used can be taped to the baseboard to prevent it from moving. Always, take time to lay out the sheeting and canvas properly smoothening out any folds as you will be moving on it.
Inspect the wall surface for holes, dents, loose paint, dirt etc.
Paint does not cover small holes. You may not get a good paint adhesion if the existing paint is flaking and the wall has loose dust and dirt on it.
Small holes and dents can be covered by patch and prime spackling compound. For larger holes and dents you may need a joint compound. Apply it using a putty knife.
Sand and clean the wall of the loose paint and dirt to prepare the surface for proper adhesion of the primer and/or paint on it.
You may use sandpaper with grit size 80 for coarse sanding and 220 for smooth finish sanding.
Mask the baseboards, window trims, electrical cover plates with Painter’s masking tape.
Check the duration for which the Painter’s masking tape can be left on the surface without peeling off the paint on removing it.
If the Painter’s tape is removed within the duration noted on it, it does not peel off paint from the newly painted surface.
How to Prime Walls for painting?
Priming the walls is the first step to applying the color of your choice. Priming ensures better adhesion of the paint and an even color on the walls.
If painting lighter color on darker walls, using primer reduces the number of coats required to get proper coverage.
How to paint walls?
Before finalizing the paint color for rooms, test it on a small area of the wall.
You can purchase sample size containers to test the paint color for your interiors. Apply it in a few locations and check it under various lighting conditions – natural daylight and interior lighting.
If you are using two or more one gallon paint containers for a color or tint, it is better to mix well all the containers in a paint bucket to even out the paint color or tint in case there is slight variation in it.
Stir the paint before pouring it into the tray. Use roller to apply the paint on the walls. Work in small sections. Let the first coat dry before applying the second coat.
If painting ceiling and baseboards, then paint ceiling first. Then you can either paint wall or baseboard. Do not apply masking tape on baseboard or wall unless the new paint has cured fully.
Work in a properly ventilated area to avoid buildup of any volatile organic compound (VOC). It has a strong odor and is inflammable.
