How to paint a wall. Painting may seem like an easy task and it is to a certain extent but if you’re not careful then it can get messy and the wall may not get painted properly. In addition to this, personal safety is also important since paints can contain some toxic constituents and that is why we recommend non-toxic, environmentally friendly paints like these to paint your rooms.

Here is a simple guide to painting a wall whether it is inside or outside the house. This will help ensure that you have the proper tools and things don’t get messy.

Planning your approach before you start painting

The first step to painting a wall is planning your approach. You are not going to just pick up a brush and start painting. You need to plan your approach based on whether the wall is inside or outside the house and the variables this changes. Moreover, color, shades and contrasts with the surrounding should also be kept in mind.

Selecting the colour

Keep in mind the contrast or color the other walls and the surroundings. 

Picking out the tools

For every painting project different tools are needed depending on the requirements of the wall. Some important tools needed for every painting project are as follows:

  1. Paint (Try these natural modern wall paint)
  2. Paint brush
  3. Paint roller
  4. Paint roller extension rod
  5. Paint tray
  6. Putty knife
  7. Sand paper
  8. Primer (Natural primers can be found here)
  9. Drop cloth
  10. Painter’s tape

Prepping the wall

Empty the room before you start painting.. Use tarps and drop cloth to cover the floors. Use painter’s tape to cover door knobs, windowsills and the ceiling perimeter. Remove drapes from the windows and other decoration pieces in the room. If the wall is outside the house then remove any decorations on the wall.

The next step is to clean the walls from dirt and debris because paint would not adhere strongly to the walls if they are unclean. Similarly if walls have cracks or holes then they need to be repaired with acrylic caulk and a putty knife. Once it dries, sand it with fine sandpaper.

Similarly for walls outside the house, pressure wash the wall to remove dirt and debris. Repair all the damaged surfaces on the wall, remove all the loose paints. Cover all the doors, windows and lights using drop cloth or tarp before starting.

Another important thing is to remove mold from the walls before staring since painting over a mould can amplify the problem.

Applying primer

Primer is designed to supply a stable surface on which subsequent layers of paint can strongly adhere. In addition to this, primer can also help to hide the stains. In case of the surface being porous, the paint gets absorbed into the pores, so more layers of paint are required before it can develop a protective coating

Similarly if the surface is too glossy, color coat adhesion is difficult because the paint cannot lock onto the surface. Primer helps with that situation too.

If you are using Graf Clean paint then to prepare the primer layer, add 10% water to the paint to make a thinned paint mixture. Apply one coat of the primer to the walls and the ceiling using a paint brush or roller and let it dry completely.

Painting the first coat

Now it is time to paint the wall. Pour the Graf Clean Premium paint onto the paint tray and coat the roller properly with paint. Now start painting the walls by using the roller. 

In case of a ceiling, it should be painted widthwise in 6ft square sections. Move from left to right, spreading the paint evenly in horizontal strokes. While moving from one square to another, make sure to feather or roll lightly at the edges of the square so that the layers do not overlap. This helps to ensure even coverage. Once you are done with the ceiling, apply the same method to the walls. Roll on the walls in vertical squares.

To prevent paint from drying unevenly, try to not stop in the middle of the process. Touch up any missed spots while the paint is still wet to ensure even sheen.

In case of an outside wall, fill the paint sprayer with exterior paint and then start coating the wall. Depending on the hue, apply one to two coats of wall. Work your way from top of the wall to the bottom in a smooth controlled manner, overlapping each stroke by 8 inches.

Apply wall brushwork

Now after rolling, use brush dipped in paint to do brushwork in areas that cannot be reached by rollers. This includes the edges and corners of the walls and edges between walls and the ceilings, the area around hinges and near the molds.

Painting the second coat

Let the first coat dry for at least 2 to 4 hours. Afterwards start painting a second coat for better finish repeating the same process as for the first coat. The longer you let the first coat dry, the better your results will be.

Cleaning up after yourself!

After you are done with painting your wall, it is time to clean up after yourselves. Clean up all the supplies, paint brushes, rollers and paint tray and store them at a dry place. Remove the tarps and drop clothes from the floor and furniture. Remove painter’s tape from door hinges and windowsills at a 45 degree angle to avoid removing any fresh paint.