I Want To Paint My Inside Walls & Ceiling White

[syd barrett]

My inside walls and ceiling (stone/concrete) are painted white but are dull and grey after many years. I want to re-paint them white.

I was considering buying white paint (is emulsion O.K)? What should I look for in a DIY shop is it called emulsion in Thailand?

Plus should I buy roller & tray or use a big brush?

I have no sheets for the tiled floor can I wash off drips later?

Plus, does anyone have any more tips or things I should not do?

Thanks for any feedback.

[stgrhe]

As with any paint work the end result will depend on how well you did the ground work.

Star with brushing of all lose particles from the surface and then clean it throughly. If there are any defects repair them first.

Then select a good quality paint of the same type that was originally used, water or oil based, and paint the surfaces twice with a thin layer each time. Do not mix water or thinner to the paint that is common among the Thais.

A roller ill be fine an use a brush on the places where you can't use the roller.

[jackr]

Having a good, clean surface (as above) is a must to prolong the life, but do make sure you cover the floor. It doesn't take much effort and saves a lot later. You can always thin an emulsion paint slightly to make it go on better - something like 10% water is ok but not the standard Thai 50/50, which is basically a whitewash! The ceiling should be off-white (a shade down from the walls). Thais call this kwanburi (spelling) and it has a touch of greyness to it when compared with white walls. Jotun do a ceiling paint.

Defo emulsion for walls and ceiling... gloss (enamel) is for wood.

Bung on with a roller.

Stick with brand names... ICI Dulux can't be beat

[trogers]

Note - white is not a colour. A white surface under shadows becomes grey. White will reflect the colours that fall on it, greenish in the presence of foliage, yellowish from light emitting through orange/yellow drapes, etc.

Edited February 21, 2010 by trogers

[dmax]

try homepro if your near one, but if in villiage then most builders merchants will have matt or silk emulsion paint, it will wash off tiles floor dont worry bout that

[tutsiwarrior]

I had the same problem with the original paint in one of the downstairs rooms in one of our shop houses...it was institutional two-tone and not nice.

When it was time to repaint we did a primer coat using 'Temco acrylic alkalai resisting primer' then followed with an emulsion; a sort of off-white to match the oyster floor tiles...the walls are the usual thai brick construction...

worked a treat, can't hardly see the small ridge between the previous two-tone paint and the color is uniform...the drips clean up easily...

[kennkate]

Jackr as got it right follow that advise. Do cover the floor If you don't it will take you much longer to clean up afterwards.

[syd barrett]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback.

I hadn't even thought about pre-cleaning the walls for example.

Great!

[NADTATIDA1]

First buy a very good paint ie Dulux

then using masking tape or something like ,mask all areas which will not need painting but will come into close contact with the cutting in..ie architrave floors and switch sockets,buy a four inch brush for cutting in the corners and areas that cannot be rolled...do the ceiling first and the cutting in then use a roller for all the walls and repeat.

matt paint hides any imperfections better.but a good job is always down to the quality of the paint used.

And white is most definately a colour

if you want to clean the walls use a good sugar soap if they are that bad,but if you buy a good paint it will save you having to do this,you could even use an exterior/interior masonry paint which dulux do! as i said good quality paint good finish and longer lasting.

Good luck and be careful on those ladders!

Edited February 21, 2010 by NADTATIDA1

[Hobc]

A tip, buy top of the range paint don't cheap charlie, also put a tea spoon of black tint per 20 litres covers much better and is still white.

As said previously prep is everything ie sand clean and where you have leaching of existing colours, stains, undercoat with all purpose enamel undercoat 2 top coats should work applied with a roller cutting in with a brush first.

[TigertheCat]

Hobc is right,if you get cheap emulsion you will regret it as soon as you roll the first coat as it wont cover and you end up having to do 2 or more coats,not worth the aggro.

Go for a good brand and use a good roller and brush as previously stated

Looking at my walls now and thinking they could do with a repaint....I saw some paint in the market 100 baht a gallon.......

[neverdie]

Don't skimp on paint quality mate, cheap thai paints are a nightmare to work with and they stink for ages after. As others have stated a small amount of water can be added but certainly nothing over 10%, I had a disagreement with the father in law about this so we painted two rooms, i did one my way and he did one the thai way (about 50/50 water). Besides his painted walls looking patchy and uneven, they have already started to peel paint within the first year. My room however, paint evenly is yet to peel or blemish, somehow in his eyes I am still wrong though .

Also, get yourself some decent brushes for the corners and difficult to reach areas, cheap brushes will drive you insane with the constant stray hairs always remaining behind in your work.

When you paint a large wall or ceiling, always try to cover the surface evenly and keep you leading edge wet, people that stop and start end up with a patchy uneven job, looks poor in my opinion.

Cover the floor, you can buy plastic sheets or go the full hog and buy drop sheets, thais substitute with newspaper, its a complete nightmare.

Keep the room well ventilated whilst painting, windows open & if possible circulate air with a fan (pointed away from the area your painting).

They also reakon its not good to paint whilst raining or high humidity, the latter being hard to avoid in thailand.

Good luck and don't call me if you need help, Ive already painted my quota of stuff.

[keithsimmonds]

Don.t think anyone has mentioned it yet,but use a white primer first after you have cleaned the walls and ceiling,you can dilute this, it can be a bit messy but it,s worth it cos your top coat of emulsion will adhere to this and last a lot longer I have painted all the water pots ie 500litre size all different colours around the exterior of my house using a primer first and the colour still looks good after 2 years in the sun.

[Daffy D]

Why do people always make things complicated?

You want to re-paint the walls and ceilings ?

No need for primer and all the other garbage just buy emulsion paint in the color of your choice.

Emulsion may not always be labeled as such but just read the instructions on the container before purchase and if it says you can dilute with water then it's emulsion as we know it.

Preparation - just get a brush of some sort and brush the areas of any dust and lose particles. If there are greasy marks round light switches for example wash them with a mixture of washing up liquid.

Brush or roller up to you, a roller is quicker but it splashes droplets of paint further than you would imagine. Have a damp cloth handy and wipe of any splashes while still wet, dried paint is infinitely more difficult to remove.

Try your local supermarket or 7-11 for cardboard boxes, open them up to cover the floors while painting.

Have fun

[NADTATIDA1]

Why do people always make things complicated?

You want to re-paint the walls and ceilings ?

No need for primer and all the other garbage just buy emulsion paint in the color of your choice.

Emulsion may not always be labeled as such but just read the instructions on the container before purchase and if it says you can dilute with water then it's emulsion as we know it.

Preparation - just get a brush of some sort and brush the areas of any dust and lose particles. If there are greasy marks round light switches for example wash them with a mixture of washing up liquid.

Brush or roller up to you, a roller is quicker but it splashes droplets of paint further than you would imagine. Have a damp cloth handy and wipe of any splashes while still wet, dried paint is infinitely more difficult to remove.

Try your local supermarket or 7-11 for cardboard boxes, open them up to cover the floors while painting.

Have fun

I thought my post made it easy not complicated!!

what primer by the way?? acrylic based?

[Daffy D]

Hi "Nadtatida1"

Several points:-

Using masking tape is not necessary - have a damp handy

It's an inside job so top quality paint is not necessary.

The OP can have any color he wants

Cleaning with sugar soap is a waste of energy and money

The OP does not need primer - The walls have peen painted already.

Primer is only needed on bare previously unpainted surfaces.

Just my opinion

[NADTATIDA1]

Ok Daffy cool!!...no probs i guess we all have different methods of decoration,i just tend to do it as i was taught in by my father...he was a painter and decorator.

Finishing a property inside or out always depends on the quality of finish wanted by the owner and of course how much money they want to spend.

peanuts and monkeys

[Daffy D]

Ok Daffy cool!!...no probs i guess we all have different methods of decoration,i just tend to do it as i was taught in by my father...he was a painter and decorator.

Finishing a property inside or out always depends on the quality of finish wanted by the owner and of course how much money they want to spend.

peanuts and monkeys

Yea! I know I used to be a perfectionist, really, attention to detail, but have learned over the years to go with the flow.

The OP wants to paint his walls and ceiling, I agree it can be an involved process but I would just let him buy a can of paint and slap it on, emulsion paint is real easy to use.

Maybe after he has done the walls and ceiling he will notice the woodwork looks shabby but that is a problem for another thread.

Back to the OP you have a choice of matt or semi gloss emulsion - up to you personally I like semi gloss

[rangers]

First buy a very good paint ie Dulux

then using masking tape or something like ,mask all areas which will not need painting but will come into close contact with the cutting in..ie architrave floors and switch sockets,buy a four inch brush for cutting in the corners and areas that cannot be rolled...do the ceiling first and the cutting in then use a roller for all the walls and repeat.

matt paint hides any imperfections better.but a good job is always down to the quality of the paint used.

And white is most definately a colour

if you want to clean the walls use a good sugar soap if they are that bad,but if you buy a good paint it will save you having to do this,you could even use an exterior/interior masonry paint which dulux do! as i said good quality paint good finish and longer lasting.

Good luck and be careful on those ladders!

White is not a colour, nor is black.

White reflects all infrared and black absorbs it all. Other "colour's" reflect some and absorb some and that gives you the different colours. Simple really.

[stgrhe]

 

White is not a colour, nor is black.

White reflects all infrared and black absorbs it all. Other "colour's" reflect some and absorb some and that gives you the different colours. Simple really.

Rubbish, black and white are in fact colours as much as any other colour. In reality there are no real colours at all since they are all illusions depending on the spectra of the reflected light.

[islandguy]

Brushing off dirt might work, but if there is anything greasy/oily on the paint the next layer of paint will come off much more easily. If you using water based paints the oily part underneath will show up with certain lighting. In the States we use TSP (trisodium phospate) powder in water to get a previously painted surface ready. If this includes a kitchen it will make a big difference. Other rooms, not so much.

[Donnyboy]

my 2 cents

preparation is the key, as mentioned above

if the surfaces are greasy, clean thoroughly,

2 thin coats are better than 1 thick coat, use a roller & tray, and small brush for edges and trim

whatever the debate is on whether white/black is a colour or not, who the <deleted> cares?

the guy just want to paint

[bkkbill]

Seems everybody has a comment and now we have to figure out if white and black are colours or is that colors in the paint world that is. While the OP is happily off painting his walls and ceilings.

[jackr]

On black and white being colours, depends on whether you're perceiving light or pigments. From light, white is a colour reflecting all colors, while black is not a colour as it doesn't reflect any. As a pigment (ie paint), white is not a colour and can't be made out of others, while black is a colour as you need to mix colours to make it... I reckon At the end of the day, for the purpose of painting, black and white are colours.

Edited March 1, 2010 by jackr

[Pattel]

Back in the UK I seem to remember a type of paint called Eggshell, which was suitable for bathrooms and kitchens. Does any body know if you can buy it here.

[NADTATIDA1]

Yes you can buy it here eggshell that is! Toa stock it!

And in painting which is after all what we are talking about,white is a colour.

[jaiyenyen]

Just a couple of tips for the OP.

If you are using a roller, and want to continue painting the next day, just wrap it up tightly in a plastic bag, and the paint won't set.

Clean up spashes and spots of emulsion paint that has already dried with HOT water, it's much easier.

I agree with other posters though. It's worth spending time on preparation.

Happy Painting.

[Donnyboy]

^ great tip

i did that on my last paint job between coats, recoat time was 4 hours so had time for a beer and some lunch in between

second coat was much faster as we didnt take as much care

[harrry]

Another tip....either paint in the nud_e except for a hair cover or wear clothes you can just throw away.

[Donnyboy]

Another tip....either paint in the nud_e except for a hair cover or wear clothes you can just throw away.

hate to remove paint from my delicates using turpentine

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