How to paint walls: practical and easy-to-follow guide

Small changes can do wonders for a home! Painting a single wall in the room, for example, makes the space “face” again. In addition, with the possibility of choosing between different colors, it is possible to awaken different types of sensations. For example, it is worth betting on light colors to attract tranquility and peace; in warm tones to make the space more cozy; or in strong colors, such as red or orange, to liven up the environment.

And if you are excited about this idea, know that painting a wall is not that complicated and does not require excessive expenses. Just yourself or someone in the family “get your hands dirty” and do a neat job! To do this, follow the tips below:

1. Prepare everything

First, it is recommended to wear old clothes and sneakers, after all, ink stains don’t come off!

Be very careful with the furniture that is in the environment… Move them away, putting them in a “safe place”. Remove pictures, curtains, mirrors and other decorations that may exist from the wall that will be painted.

Then line the floor with cardboard or newspapers, securing them with masking tape. Karina Monaco, product manager at Suvinil, explains that paper/cardboard is the best option to use, “because it prevents paint drops from spreading over the rest of the floor, as it absorbs the paint splash, making it to dry faster”.

Still according to the professional, another important tip is to remove switch and socket mirrors, covering them with wide adhesive tape. The same tape is used to cover parts that should not be painted on the wall: door jambs, baseboards, aluminum frames, wall joints, etc.

2. Have everything at hand

You will basically need:

• Paint in the chosen color (more below, learn how to calculate how much you will use);
• Brush (brush);
• Wool roll;
• Ink tray;
• wall files;
• thick masking tape;
• ink mixer;
• Cardboard (preferably) or newspapers to cover the floor and furniture;
• Floor cloth or fur broom;
• Stairs.

3. Get the area ready

Sand the wall. “Preferably use a ‘coarser’ sandpaper (80 – 120) to start the work and finish the sanding with the ‘finest’ sandpaper (180 to 240)”, explains Karina Monaco.

With a floor cloth or a broom, remove the dust that the sandpaper left on the wall.

4. Prepare the ink

Remember to choose a good quality product, this is very important to ensure a satisfactory final result.

Open the paint and use a mixer to stir. Pour the paint into the tray and dilute it with water following the instructions on the package and mix well again.

5. Start painting

Take the brush and apply the paint all around the area to be painted, close to the masking tape.

Wet the roller under a faucet, then remove the excess water by running the material on a wall (not the one that will be painted) until the roller is almost dry.

Place the roller in the paint without soaking it and remove the excess in the tray itself. “It is suitable for passing the roller on the paint and avoiding very thick layers. The use of this material also helps to avoid wastage of paint”, highlights Karina.

To ensure better coverage, the Suvinil professional suggests painting the wall forming an “N” from the floor to the ceiling. “Then, just turn the roll back filling the spaces for full surface coverage. By following these instructions, the final paint result is uniform and more beautiful,” she explains.

Do not be alarmed to see that the first coat did not completely cover the wall. Wait and go to the second part of the painting.

6. Repaint

About three hours later, make the contour again close to the masking tape with the brush and apply the second coat with the roller.

If the coverage is still not good, wait another three or four hours and move on to the third coat. But it is worth noting that, when purchasing a good product, two layers will probably be enough! And, at the end of the day, that’s where you end up “saving” (after all, otherwise, it’s that old story: “cheap can be expensive”).

7. Finish

Once the last coat is finished, before it dries completely, remove all the masking tape. Wash the material – such as a brush, roller, tray – under running water and dry it well before putting it away. Once the wall is completely dry, probably after three or four hours, clean the floor and put everything in place.

How to calculate the amount of paint to buy?

Whether it’s when renovating or when painting a single wall in the house, one of the most frequent questions concerns the exact amount of paint to buy.

Karina Monaco explains that, to calculate the exact amount of paint, the consumer must multiply the length of the wall that will be painted by its height, discounting windows and doors. “With the yield of the product that will be applied by hand (just consult the packaging), the area (in m2) that will be painted must be divided by the yield of the product and this result must be divided by the number of coats indicated for each product. The result is the number of packages needed for this painting,” she says.

To help consumers avoid waste, time and money with the purchase of extra material, Suvinil has even created the Ink Calculator on its internet portal. Coral, Telhanorte and Politintas also make similar tools available on their websites.

To use the tool, just access the calculator icon on the website, point out which type of surface will be painted, the product that will be used and include the measurements of the extension and height of the wall, in addition to the measurements of the windows and doors and the number of coats. After entering these data, the calculator automatically displays the number of packages required.

Can I mix different colors to get the shade I want?

This is another doubt that arises among people who are preparing to paint, for example, one of the walls of the house.

Karina Monaco points out that there are currently many color options on the market, so “the ideal is to choose the exact shade to avoid problems with ink pigmentation and stains”.

How long does the paint smell last?

Karina points out that, according to research carried out by Suvinil, there was a great concern on the part of the consumer in relation to the smell caused by the paint when painting at home.

However, according to the professional, currently there are products that have a technology that makes the paint smell come out after three hours of application. “Currently, almost all the products we work on have this technology. In this way, painting becomes more practical and easier, since you no longer have to worry about the smell of the paint”, he says.

Can I reuse ink after opening?

Professional Karina highlights that diluted paint remains should never return to the can, as they anticipate the expiration date of the rest of the product.

“A tightly closed can of paint, stored in a dry, cool place and away from children and animals, can last the same shelf life described on the label, if the stored can contains more than half its volume of undiluted paint. If the volume is less than half, we recommend that the product be used within three months after opening the can, as the layer of air inside the can can cause the paint to dry out on the surface of the liquid paint”, he concludes. Karina.

Video: how to paint walls the easy way

Tip: For a perfect finish, apply a layer of plaster between the masking tape and the wall to be painted, as shown in the video. This will ensure that the line between one wall and the other is completely straight.

With all these tips, it is much simpler to paint walls and, consequently, give more color and life to the environments! Choose your favorite shades and get busy at work, leaving your home revamped!