Good preparation is half the work done

As with anything in life, preparation is key. How to prepare for a painting job? First, decide on the scope - the entire apartment, one room or maybe just one wall in a room. Then choose the type and quality of paint or coating system. The main criteria are:

-        Type of substrate: conventional (dispersion or lime) wall coatings, highly washable lacquers and enamels, wallpaper...

-        Load: load varies depending on the purpose of a room; wear and tear is much higher in the hall than in the living room, so choose a paint that is highly resistant to wear and can also be cleaned with a wet cloth, for example SPEKTRA Latex Matt.

-        The condition of the surfaces: check if the walls are cracked, if the paint is peeling, if there is any mould...

-        The desired final appearance of the coating: choose the colour shade and level of gloss.

Since a wall is never completely smooth or even, like glass, most interior wall paints have a low or matt level of gloss. This makes it much easier to hide irregularities on the surface than if the wall is painted with a high-gloss paint. If you prefer a glossy finish, apply the colourless top coat SPEKTRA Domflok Gloss over any shade of interior wall paint, to provide additional protection for the painted surfaces.

When deciding on a shade is made difficult by the sheer range of choice some advice on choosing a shade can be helpful. Once you have chosen the shade, we recommend testing it on a small part of the wall and waiting for the paint to dry completely. Observe the colour for a few days, which will change throughout the day depending on the amount and angle of daylight. The HGMIX INTERIOR COLOUR COLLECTION colour card offers a wide range of colour shades for interior wall surfaces, from pastel to intense colours.

For darker tones, choose paints that have more binder, which makes them spread over and stick to the surface better, for example SPEKTRA Latex Matt. With lighter tones, you can choose from a wider range of wall paints.

After choosing the desired colour shade or coating system, calculate how much paint you need. Painters usually include the surface area of windows and doors in the total square footage, except in the case of very large glass surfaces. Remember to add up to 10% extra to the calculated square footage, as some paint will remain on the brush, roller and in the tin.

To prepare a complete list of everything you need before visiting the store, check the condition of the base you will paint. If the paint is peeling or white marks are left on your hand after running it over the wall, this means that there is little binder in the paint and the base is bad. For such bases, first apply the primer SPEKTRA Impregnation Acryl Special.

Painting list:

-        protective adhesive tape,

-        protective films to protect the floor and furniture,

-        impregnation (as required),

-        sandpaper,

-        putty for repairing irregularities on the surface (as required),

-        spatula for applying putty (as required),

-        paint,

-        paint mixing stick,

-        paintbrush,

-        roller,

-        a bucket for pouring the required amount of paint,

-        mesh strainer, used to remove excess paint from the roller,

-        a ladder, to reach higher parts of the walls (as required),

-        telescopic rod.

Protection

Now everything is ready. Remember to carve out enough time for painting, so that you do not have to worry about doing a rushed job. If your weekdays are busy, it is better to use the weekend for your painting job.

Once you have decided when to paint, first clean and prepare your chosen base. Brush off any dust or cobwebs, level the surface if uneven, and use putty to repair any minor irregularities on the wall. In this case, wait for the putty to dry well before painting. Following the instructions for the putty’s drying time.

 The final stage before painting is the protection of the floor, wall edges, windows, doors, sockets, switches and furniture, using protective films and protective adhesive tape. Once everything is protected (and the putty is dry), the painting can begin!

Painting

First mix the paint well, to prevent pigment or other substances from settling. Then thin the paint according to the instructions on the tin. In principle, the first layer of paint should be thinner than the second. The choice of roller corresponds to the quality of the paint: woven rollers are used for ordinary wall paints, such as SPEKTRA Perfect White, SPEKTRA Classic Plus, SPEKTRA Fresh&Easy, SPEKTRA Extra; microfibre rollers are for better quality paints, as they create a finer paint structure on the wall. These include SPEKTRA Latex Matt or Semi-matt, SPEKTRA Active Air or SPEKTRA Premium. For the best possible application of the paint, wet the roller under water before use and roll it across a flat surface, to release the water and open the fibres. You can roll it across any water-resistant flat surface; just ensure that the water released does not cause any damage.

Always start painting first with a small roller or brush in the corners, around the sockets and switches, and under the ceiling, and only then continue painting with a large roller on larger surfaces. 

Make sure that the paint is evenly spread over the surface, that the layers are not too thick and that the paint is not rolled for too long in one place, as it will begin to dry and leave visible roller marks. Paint should be applied in the shape of the letter S, which is then smeared in a vertical direction up and down. Make sure that you paint in the same direction the whole time and that there is no excess paint on the brush or roller. Use the strainer to remove any excess paint from the brush or roller. Avoid using the edge of the paint tin for straining, as this may make it difficult to open and close it due to dried paint.

When painting, it should not be drafty or too hot (up to 25 °C) so that the paint does not dry too quickly. Follow the instructions for the necessary number of coatings and drying time. You should apply the second layer of paint only when the first layer is completely dry. Applying it onto a wet first layer may cause problems - the first layer may come off the base together with the roller when applying the second layer. The extremely white interior wall paint SPEKTRA Super is special, as it offers the possibility of applying it to a wet first layer, which removes the need to wait for the paint to dry between applications.

Cleaning

The final and important stage is cleaning. Remove the adhesive tape when the paint is partially or completely dry, but not wet. Do not pull it away from the painted surface, but at a 180 degree angle. Remove the (dirty) floor protection only when the paint is completely dry. Otherwise, pieces of dry paint from the protective film may fly up and stick onto the wet wall.

After removing the protective film, paper and protective adhesive tape, wash the rollers, brushes and other tools with water. Wash the roller with water and then roll it across a flat surface to open the hairs. If the roller is left wet, the hairs can stick together and even grow mouldy. Never lay it flat on a surface; stand it upright or hang it while it dries. The same applies to brushes.

If you did not use up all the paint, wipe the edge of the tin with a clean cloth and seal it. To prevent the paint from drying out in the tin, check that the lid is properly sealed. This is the only way to ensure the paint remains usable for another 5 months after opening the original tin. If less than half of the paint is left, we recommend pouring it into a glass pickling jar, to limit its contact with air. Check that the paint is still good before the next time you use it.