How Can You Yourself Paint Your Apartment?

Painting the house or changing colors is one of the most powerful ways to change and renew the decor in general. Changing the colors considerably changes the psychological state and makes you feel as if everything in the house has changed. However, costs may hinder some people from taking this step, so some people think about doing this task themselves. Although it may seem difficult at first, it is a very enjoyable experience that makes you feel the change. So, here are all the steps and information you need to know how to paint your apartment yourself and maybe one day you will do so.

 

How to Paint the Apartment Yourself?

Painting the walls of the house or even one room is a process that requires several steps. In order to succeed in completing this task yourself, you should plan well and follow these steps, as follows:

 

1. Determine the Areas Need Painting

The first step is to determine the rooms and walls that you will paint because this entails determining the amount of paint you need, the tools that might be purchased, and any defects in the wall to be repaired. This helps in calculating the total cost of the paint.

 

2.  Choose the Color Shades

Determining the color of the paint is a very important step, because there is an endless variety of colors. In this step, the colors of the furniture and the floor should be taken into account, and the nature of the room itself as well. For example, the kitchen needs vibrant colors that encourage you to work, while the bedrooms need calm colors that encourage you to relax.

You can go to the paint store and choose from many catalogs until you find the exact degree you want. There are colors that can be obtained by mixing two or more colors together, while other colors are preferably “computer colors”. This technology helps to obtain the exact degree of color.

3.  Determine the Type of Paint

There are various types of wall paints used in homes. So, before deciding to paint any wall or change its color, the best type of paint should be determined from the following types:

 

Plastic Paints

They are the most commonly used types in homes today because they are easy to apply, quickly absorbed and easy to clean as well. There are 3 types of them: glossy, semi-gloss and matte.

 

Watercolor Paints

They are water-based paints that are known to be easy to use, dry quickly and are easy to clean. However, they have a short life and may crack due to moisture.

 

Epoxy Paints

They are also used a lot in wall painting, but may change color due to interaction with light. They dry very quickly, so you should take care while painting with them.

 

Oil Paints

Oil-based paints are known for their strong colors and are often used in rooms that are constantly exposed to moisture, such as the bathroom and kitchen. Oil paints are durable and dry for a long time, so they can be easily modified during use. However, they are difficult to clean and emit strong odors during use.

 

Plush Paints

Plush paint is one of the finest types of paints. It is characterized by luxury and sophistication, long lasting, easy to clean, and classic and elegant appearance.

 

4.  Buy Paint Tools

Painting requires several tools and not only those we will be used in painting:

• Small paint roller
• Large paint roller
• Long stick
• Wall putty
• Large putty knife
• Small putty knife
• Coarse sandpaper for each wall to be painted
• Corner paint brush
• Wall tape roll
• Linoleum to cover the furniture inside the room if it is difficult to move outside
• Newspaper or linoleum to protect the floor from paint stains

 

5.  Preparing the Room Before Painting

The first step in the painting process is to prepare the room in which you will work. If there is furniture in it, you should take it outside if possible, or cover it tightly so that it does not spoil from the paint stains. The second step is to completely cover the floor to avoid any stains that may fall on the floor while painting.

 

6. Prepare the Wall

This step is very important to get a great and perfect final result. Preparing the wall before painting is the basis of everything. This step is as follows:

• Use the wall tape and cover the electrical switches in the whole room.
• Cover the line between the wall you are going to paint and the adjacent wall, along the wall and up to the baseboard.
• Extend the tape crosswise over the whole baseboard.
• Fully cover the borders of the room door.
• Wash the wall with a clean sponge to get rid of any dust or stains.

 

7.  Sanding the Wall

After cleaning the wall with a sponge and soapy water, let it dry first, then sand it. Use a coarse sandpaper and start going over the entire wall from top to bottom or vice versa.

8. Repairing Cracks in the Wall

If the walls of the room you are painting have cracks and the old paint has fallen off, you should repair the matter before using the first layer of new paint, through the paste process.

• In this process, you use putty and a putty knife to fill cracks. If you are going to use powdered putty, mix it with water first according to the instructions on the box.
• First of all, make sure that you remove the remnants of the old paint first.
• Take a small amount of putty on the large knife, then use the small putty knife to putty the cracks and crevices.
• Start the process by pulling the putty on the wall from the top to the bottom, and continue until finishing the wall wholly.
• Let the layer of putty dry completely, then putty the wall with a second layer to make the wall softer. However, this time pull the putty from right to left, then let the second layer dry as well.
• Then sand the wall with sandpaper.

9.  Preparing the Paint Colors

This step varies from one person to another depending on the choice of colors to be used. If you are going to use computer colors, you have the selected color and you can start immediately.

If you want to get a normal color, you can prepare it using white paint, buy a small bottle of the color you want and put an amount of it on the white color according to the degree you need.

For example, if you want to prepare beige or off-white to any degree, you can bring the right amount of white paint, buy a small brown bottle, and then put a small amount of it on the white color to get the degree you want. This process is known colors shades.

10. Painting the Wall

After making sure that the wall is completely repaired, the first layer of paint comes in. In this step, you should:

• Start using a small paintbrush to paint the corners of the wall. Then use the small roller and repaint the same places where you used the brush so that all the paint looks the same.
• Then use the large roller to paint the rest of the wall. Take a specific direction from the top to the bottom or vice versa. You can use a long stick and install the roller on it to reach the higher places of the wall.
• After the first coat is finished, let the wall dry, then apply the second and third coats of paint.
• After you are completely finished painting this wall, repeat the steps with the adjacent walls until you have finished the whole room.

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