What do I need to consider when painting a wall? How do you prepare the wall? What tools do you need and for what? With this three-step guide and some additional tips, you’ll know exactly how to paint a wall.
Do you plan to move and need to repaint your bedroom wall for the next tenant? Or have you just moved in and want to give your living room a new colour with a coloured wall before placing your pictures? In either case, you can use our step-by-step instructions on how to paint a wall.
Before buying the necessary materials, be sure that you can paint a wall if you are a tenant.
Step 1: Check and pre-treat the wall
It is important to pre-treat the wall so that it can absorb the new colour. It must be dry, clean, dust-free, smooth and sound. Does the wall to be repainted have an old, flaking layer of paint? If so, wash it with a brush and water.
On a lime plaster, you can easily tell if the wall needs to be prepared by running a cloth over it. If you find paint residues on the fabric, you should first wash your wall with a brush and water, the same goes for a plaster wall. Once your wall is dry, it is recommended that you apply a coat of primer evenly. This will allow the paint to absorb better.
Tip: Put a strip of tape on your wall where you want to paint, then peel it off with a sharp blow. If the paint gets on the tape, you should wash your wall first.
Step 2: Masking the wall
Preparation also includes masking off areas you don’t want to paint. These include, for example, sockets, light switches, door or window frames. Take an adhesive tape and carefully cover these areas. Apply enough pressure to the masking tape so that it has good contact with the surface and the paint does not run under the tape when you paint it later. Of course, you should also cover the floor. Plastic sheeting is best.
Tip: when removing the tape after painting, do not pull it off abruptly, but remove it slowly and evenly.
Step 3: Priming and painting the wall
After masking and covering, you can finally start painting. If you discovered in step 1 that your wall should be painted first with a primer, you can apply this undercoat with a roller or a wide brush. Before you start painting, you must let the primer dry. The drying time may vary depending on the brand. It is therefore essential to read the instructions on the packaging.
After priming, you can start painting the chosen colour. If your original walls are white, only one coat is needed. Dark coloured walls, on the other hand, require a second coat. Be patient, because the first coat must be completely dry before you can start the second coat.
Four more tips for a perfect paint job:
- From top to bottom: Always paint your wall from the top down.
- Avoid streaks: The reason for paint streaks, especially on large walls, is that the paint was not applied quickly enough. And if you apply the second coat despite the streaks, you will still see the colour differences. For large areas, paint in pairs to save time. It’s also much more fun!
- Avoid draughts: Never leave windows and doors open when painting your wall, as draughts will dry out your wall unevenly
- Paint the edges properly: If you paint the edges with a brush, then spread the paint with a small roller. Make sure that the paint is evenly distributed around the edges and that it does not come off the rest of the wall after drying.
brush with paint on a table
Paint and tools
Don’t go for the cheapest: When buying paint, it’s worth spending a little more money on high quality paint. This can save you a lot of wasted time and unforeseen problems. Also, be sure to have plenty of paint on hand. What surface is the paint for? Do I need one or two coats of paint? Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Paint, protection (tarpaulin, tape), brushes – have you thought of everything?
