How to paint a flat - step by step?

It is worth changing the interior of our apartment from time to time. The easiest way to do so is by painting the walls. At first glance, this process may seem simple, but for untrained and unprepared people it can cause a lot of problems. In today's article, you will learn how to prepare and effectively paint an apartment.

What do you need to paint the walls and ceiling?

Below is a list of materials that we need to buy when starting the painting process:

• painting foil

• paint rollers - we use them to paint large areas, relatively smooth wall surfaces. The smoother the wall, the shorter the roller should be.

• painting tray

• telescopic painting stick

• small paintbrush - used to paint difficult to reach places

• large paintbrush - used to distribute the paint in the corners

• paint – you must choose its type to the surface you will paint. You will find more information on paint selection later in the article. Remember to mix the paint well before painting. If necessary, we can slightly dilute it with water.

• undercoat and grout - in the event of a radical change in the wall colour

If repairs of the walls are necessary, we must also purchase:

• spatula

• sandpaper

• sanding net

• finishing coat or plaster

What kind of paint should I choose?

An extremely important factor that influences the final painting effect is the right choice of paint. We select it according to the structure type of the wall that we intend to paint and also to the conditions of the room. Different paint should be used in the living room than in the bathroom. We should count the number of m2 which we want to paint and buy the right amount of product, keeping a 10-15% surplus. On each packaging, we will find a paint performance, and with this data, we can assemble how much m2 will it cover. It's best to choose the ones with the best performance, thanks to which we will save time on repainting and get a better final result. Some manufacturers state that the paint will cover the walls after the first painting, however, we do recommend painting the walls twice.

We describe the characteristics of the most popular paints on the market below:

• Latex paints - We recommend using latex paints for bathrooms, kitchens, or hallways. They are characterized by their high flexibility, vapour-permeability and abrasion resistance. You can easily wash the dirt off of them.
• Paints containing acrylic resins - perfect for painting all rooms except kitchens and bathrooms. They are known for their good performance, flexibility, great adhesion to the substrate, and they dry quickly. They are odourless and environmentally friendly. Acrylic paints are perfect for concrete, gypsum, limestone, brick, or lime-cement substrates. The big advantage of walls covered with acrylic paint is that they can be washed and scrubbed.
• Vinyl paints - are characterized by their flexibility, good adhesion to the substrate and they dry quickly. They are odourless and environmentally friendly. Vinyl paints are perfect to concrete, gypsum, limestone, brick, or lime-cement substrates.
• Ceramic paints - are intended for indoor use. Their main advantage is that they carry a high resistance against scrubbing and they’re easy to clean.
• Acrylic - vinyl paints - combine the best features of latex and vinyl paints.

How to prepare an apartment for painting?

In the beginning walls and ceilings which we plan on painting should be thoroughly cleaned. Move away all of the furniture to the middle of the room or take them out. Take care of securing your furniture, windows, chandeliers, and the floor with painting foil. To prevent dust from entering other rooms, secure the door with a special zipped-up cover. Using painting tape secure: sockets, skirtings, windows frames, and other elements. Using the same adhesive, separate the places where the colours combine.

How to prepare the surfaces for painting?

It is extremely important to properly prepare the surface for the painting process. If we notice any damaged wall elements, fix them. Fill the defects with a finishing coat or plaster to obtain an even surface. Patching holes is a process of thickening the surface. The walls should be levelled with sandpaper. If there is any glue residue left from the previously used glue products like so-called dry paint or wallpapers, we have to thoroughly remove them from the surface of the walls using a spatula. If it was acrylic or latex paint, it is enough to thoroughly clean the walls of dust. It is extremely important to get clearly defined borders between colours. If we want to paint a wall in a colour similar to the previous one, cleaning the wall of dust will be sufficient. However, if we want to radically change the colour (e.g. from dark brown to white), first we should apply undercoat paint and prime the walls. Thanks to this, we will effectively remove an old colour. This process will make it easier for the wall to adapt the new paint.

How to paint an apartment?

If we have already bought the necessary materials, prepared the apartment and all surfaces for painting. We can start.

• We start the painting process by painting all the corners with a large paintbrush.

• Use a small paintbrush to paint the areas around the window frames.

• Then paint the ceilings using a large roller and a telescopic pole.

• Paint the area around the sockets, baseboards, and chandeliers with a small paintbrush.

• Using a roller, paint wide stripes of interior paint. Remember to spread the paint well over the entire width of the roller. We paint with smooth movements - from top to bottom. You should paint to get an even surface.

• Use a small roller or paintbrush to paint areas that are difficult to access (e.g. behind radiators).

• Remove the painting tape.

After we finish the first layer, there should be a day-long break before we paint the same area again.