Painting your own interior walls is one of the jobs most done by the French. It is indeed not always necessary to call on a professional for this type of realization. It’s a good way to renovate your interior or decorate your new home while reducing costs and without waiting for the availability of a professional painter. Nevertheless, it is necessary to be well equipped and to know how to make the right gestures to obtain a good result. Here are our tips for successfully painting your walls without calling a pro.
How to equip yourself to paint a wall yourself?
The necessary equipment
In order to be sure of painting without constraints, it is imperative to be well equipped and have the necessary tools before the start of the work. To paint your walls, you will need:
- Quality paint
- A universal or adapted underlay
- masking tape
- Protective tarps
- A paint tray
- A rechamp brush
- A paint roller
- A sponge
- rags
- Sandpaper
- A stepladder
- A filler in case of hole or crack
While most individuals turn to low-cost paints to save money, we recommend that you invest in quality paint. A mid-range or high-end purchase is essential for a successful project in good conditions. Indeed, low-cost paints are essentially composed of powders diluted in water; they are difficult to apply and require a large number of coats (and therefore product to buy!) for a result that is just drinkable. By investing in a quality product, you will be able to apply your paint easier, faster and in far fewer coats, which often compensates for the additional expense of purchasing. Finally, the rendering is clearly superior and high-end paints are more respectful of the environment and your health. Do not hesitate to invest, you have everything to gain!
The painting
The choice of your paint is determined by a number of criteria:
- The colour : Each brand has different shades for each color or color category. Choose accordingly to get the shade that suits you.
- Finishing : the paint can be glossy, satin or matte. There are also products with specific effects or textures. The satin or matte finish is the most recommended, because the glossy paint tends to highlight the defects of the walls; save it for smooth, perfect walls.
- Typology : the interior paint is acrylic, glycero (oil) or alkyd. If the rendering of glycerol paints is more harmonious, it is much more difficult to apply and it gives off more odors than the other two types.
Do not hesitate to test your paint in store or at home, behind a piece of furniture. Observe the rendering once dry and throughout the day according to the evolution of daylight. This verification will allow you to avoid unpleasant surprises! Indeed, the color displayed on the pot is not always truly representative of reality and fresh paint does not have the same color as dry paint either!
How to paint your wall?
Prepare your room
For a quality rendering, it is necessary to work in a quality space. Make room for yourself, move furniture or, if possible, evacuate it from the room, protect your surfaces and make sure the space is clean and dust-free.
Protect the surfaces not to be painted on the floor and on the walls using tarpaulins and/or masking tape. Think carefully about your skirting boards and your window and door frames. Finally, turn off the power and remove the electrical socket and switch boxes for a perfect finish. Also dismantle the radiators if you can.
Prepare your wall
Remove any old covering from the wall, scrape off old and peeling paint and remove wallpaper. Fill holes and cracks with patching compound. Let it dry and sand the surface well.
Make sure the wall is well sanded and clean before you start painting.
Apply the undercoat
The undercoat is not obligatory, but it is highly recommended to obtain a more optimal and more durable result. It is indeed a base that hides the defects of the wall, which helps the paint to adhere better with a more harmonious rendering, and to last longer.
With the repainting brush, apply the undercoat in the corners and contours in order to clearly delimit all the space to be painted. Then dip your roller and apply your product, progressing in areas of approximately 1 m². Start with a vertical pass, then, without reloading the brush with paint, make a horizontal pass to cover the surface well. Finish with a vertical smoothing.
Wait the drying time recommended by the manufacturer before continuing your work.
Apply the paint
The application of the paint is identical to that of the undercoat. Start by clearing your angles and contours using the highlighting brush. Then proceed with the roller, also in areas of approximately 1 m² and in vertical and horizontal strips. Slightly overlap the different areas to prevent the seams from showing when drying.
Do not apply too much paint each time in order to avoid drips and take care to wring the roller correctly on a wire rack.
When the first layer is dry, apply the second in the same way for a harmonious result. Note that most single-coat paints still require a second coat, especially if no undercoat is applied. It is sometimes advisable to lightly sand the surface of the wall between two coats. If the manufacturer’s instructions advise, sand with fine grit sandpaper and dust the wall before applying the next coat.
Remove the masking tape before the paint is completely dry to prevent smudges forming or the paint peeling off with the tape.
All you have to do is replace your sockets and switches before admiring your work!