Looking for some pointers/tips on painting a one-bedroom apartment.

[grain]

Not in Thailand, the apartment is in Perth, my wife and I will be going to Perth next month and I'll be doing renovations while there. Ideally I'll get a painter to repaint the property but if the cost is too high we'll have to do it ourselves. Interior only, no exterior painting at all. Lounge and bedroom ceilings are OK, but bathroom ceiling is a bit flakey in parts and will need rubbing back and repainting. I understand I'll need mould-proof paint for the bathroom. The lounge walls are brick in some parts and plastered in the rest. Last time the place was painted was 10 years ago.

 

Can we just repaint the walls right off or do they have to be prepared in some way first. 

As the unit is smallish everyone say paint white but I find white a bit uninteresting. Also everyone say use flat matte paint but I kinda prefer gloss, I think the gloss painted walls are better when wiping off stains.

We'll also need to paint skirting, doors, frames. If white walls then white doors too, but I think the skirtings would look good painted in a dark contrasting color.

Both of us have done a pit of painting before but not a lot, so I welcome any tips, pointers, pitfalls to look out for.

[Will B Good]

Just had mine repainted in the UK.

 

The guy sanded down all the plaster work with a huge sanding m/c.....then painted with primer and top coat........looks really good.

 

He said that the sanding was essential to clean the surfaces properly before painting.....could have been lying of course.

[Lacessit]

Gloss is definitely needed for bathrooms. It's a bad idea for living spaces, because there are reflections, which can be annoying with a TV. Better to compromise with a satin or semi-gloss paint.

 

Acrylics nowadays are just as durable as alkyds, without the hydrocarbon solvent smell, which may take days or weeks to clear.

 

Prepare all surfaces. Painting over old layers without sanding usually results in the new paint losing adhesion prematurely.

 

If you don't like white, there are plenty of cheerful light yellows and greens to choose from. Have one wall, doors or the skirting boards in a dark color for contrast. Don't have dark blue, it's the color of depression.

[grain]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Gloss is definitely needed for bathrooms. It's a bad idea for living spaces, because there are reflections, which can be annoying with a TV. Better to compromise with a satin or semi-gloss paint.

 

Acrylics nowadays are just as durable as alkyds, without the hydrocarbon solvent smell, which may take days or weeks to clear.

 

Prepare all surfaces. Painting over old layers without sanding usually results in the new paint losing adhesion prematurely.

 

If you don't like white, there are plenty of cheerful light yellows and greens to choose from. Have one wall, doors or the skirting boards in a dark color for contrast. Don't have dark blue, it's the color of depression.

Thank you, lots of good ideas here.

[sometimewoodworker]

16 hours ago, Will B Good said:

He said that the sanding was essential to clean the surfaces properly before painting.....could have been lying of course.

It’s untrue that paint must be sanded off before repainting, probably sanded but not sanded off. But it is possible that your paint was in such poor condition that it required sanding off. It is equally possible that his large sanding machine cut his time enough to make it cost effective.

 

So lying? Yes, or possibly no.