New colors for the home. With practical tips and instructions from a professional painter, you can achieve a perfect paint job.
The project “painting walls” has to be approached systematically and with the right paint roller
Whether it's the first coat of paint in the newly moved apartment, the desire for a new color scheme in all rooms or a repainting coat that is due, which is simply necessary after years: If you want to do the coloring yourself, there are a few things that you should pay attention to so that you can for one is happy with the painting for a long time.
Franz Dvorak is a professional painter in Lower Austria, owner of a painting company, provides professional advice on color and material selection and has created step-by-step instructions for us. Every layperson should be successful with this.
paint walls
If the walls have already been painted, the first step is to check the subsurface, because not every color can be easily painted over. Dvorak: “Wipe the wall with a damp sponge. If there is any paint left on the sponge, it is probably glue paint that should be removed before repainting. ”For a new building, it is advisable to run your hand over the wall. “If plaster sticks to it, you have to sweep it off and apply a deep primer.” The same applies if the surface is very absorbent. The corresponding sample: “Splash some water on the wall, if it immediately turns dark, you have to prime.”
The next step is to pull any nails and hooks out of the walls and fill small holes with putty. “Don't just cover up cracks and holes with paint,” emphasizes the professional. Cracks can be widened a little beforehand, then the compound holds better. In the case of deeper and larger cracks, the fabric must also be filled in. You can get special grids in hardware stores. After filling, you can sand down again to get a smooth surface.
Before you can start painting, furniture should be moved away and then covered generously, as well as floors and windows. Franz Dvorak: “You can use fleece, paper or a thicker film for the floor. You can use a thinner quality for windows and furniture. ”In any case, the cover is fixed with adhesive tape. Masking tape is used for bases or other places on walls that have to be covered, such as light switches or sockets. The painter recommends not taking the cheapest, as it often does not hold up well or is so strong that it takes paint with it when it is removed.
Coloring
Now you can start coloring. “You work your way from the smallest to the largest tool,” explains Dvorak. In other words, you brush out corners and edges with the brush, then you take the small roller and paint over the first ten centimeters on these edges. Only now is the large paint roller used. It starts with the ceiling, then comes the wall surfaces. “It is painted from top to bottom and then back up again,” explains the professional painter. “This is how you paint lane by lane and always slightly overlapping”. Important: “Don't take a coffee break in half the wall, but always finish an area.”
By the way: If it is to be technically correct, the expert recommends two rounds. What, however, does not make sense – to drive back and forth several times at one point. “That way you just take away the paint.” The paint has to dry well between the two passes. Dvorak: “How long this takes depends on the room temperature and humidity, and can take from a few hours to a day.”
In order to be able to check the quality of the painting, proper lighting conditions are important. “It's best to light up the wall with a spotlight,” advises Franz Dvorak. “The brighter the light, the better you can see every little thing.”
Let the paint dry
If you need a break in between, you should take good care of your tools. “Wrap the brush or roller tightly in the cover film and cover it with a masking tape so that the tools do not dry out,” advises the professional.
When the work is done and the paint has dried, the adhesive tape is carefully removed again. Franz Dvorak: “Pull down carefully and preferably when this area is still wet.” Now the job is done – and the do-it-yourselfer is off.
