Interior painting question
 

We have a fairly new courtyard villa and are considering having the interior walls painted. The walls are presently that beige standard cheap paint that will mark up from just hanging a picture. My question is whether one or two coats of the new paint will be needed. Thanks in advance.

Hi Bud. Check for a PM! Good to see you posting.

You should only need one coat of high quality paint. But, new paint is not going to prevent the walls from marking up. Also, if you want to paint the ceilings, doors and trim, the price will go way up. Most newer houses seem to have the same paint on the walls and ceilings. You may want to consider an "eggshell" finish to make it easier to clean. Better than a flat finish.

Painting the walls and trim yourself is not difficult and will save you a lot of $$. The key is to use a good quality paint and take time to prep (we tape off the trim and ceiling when doing walls. Use eggshell (we used satin in the garages) and avoid flat for walls. We use Sherwin Williams but there are other good quality paint.

If you are painting yourself, be sure you get the correct Knapp for your roller and be sure you go over the area 2 or 3 times with sufficient pressure to get good coverage. I have painted 4 rooms in our house, and still finding the occasional really small spots that did not get covered. I used blue painters tape (Lowe's) for around all the wood molding. I was told to use a 'dry' brush of paint and put a very light coat along the tape and allow to dry, then followup with the normal wet coat, this prevents the paint from bleeding under the tape. I also did all the cut-in along the ceiling by hand. could not get tape to work at all in these areas.
I all cases, I was able to get away with one coat of paint, and approximately the recommended coverage.
Hope this helps, good luck with your project.

The builders coat is basically a primer. The number of coats of paint will depend on the color you choose. Most jobs only require 1 coat of a good quality paint. I recommend Sherwin Williams Eggshell. Len the retired half of Investment Painters

Thanks. I agree, we have always used eggshell paint.

I did paint the bathrooms and the laundry room with eggshell paint and they came out pretty good. However I would rather not paint the carpeted bedrooms as I’m not the neatest painter. Also rather not paint the high walls in the living room after a ladder accident up north five years ago broke my wrist in two places. I also find it difficult to get a nice clean cut where the walls meet the ceiling.

Thanks for the tips. We’ve tried the tape on the ceilings too and, as you said, it doesn’t work that well. I also did the cut-in by hand and that was the part I enjoyed the least.

AH yes, you need the correct brush, I had a really nice one, then accidentally damaged it....Now I have to find another one. I also found that doing the cut-in in one direction is very different than in the other direction, so I look over the room, and plan the direction and ladder placement.

Good brushes cost money. Don't skimp on this purchase. I always use a high end Purdy brush for cut in along ceiling and trim. A 2 inch works well and will cost around $15. Also use a very high end paint for best results. Buy canvas tarps to cover floors and anything else you don't move. And lots of blue painters tape.

Or, hire a good painter to do the job. Hiring a painting company is one of the better values with contractors. Let them move stuff, climb ladders, clean up and most do a really good job. Search on here for painting contractors and two or three really stand out as doing a great job.

Good brushes, good paint, one coat should work.

My husband taught me all I know as his father was a housepainter and he did his share to help out. We have spackled and painted our own house for the last 45 years and we are officially retired from big painting jobs! Be prepared to climb ladders and have a bunch of rollers and extensions, drop clothes, etc. part of the problem is where to store all this stuff. We now do the occasional job and touch ups but have decided to let the younger guys and gals do the heavy lifting or climbing, as it were.

I am a handyman and do a lot of work in The Villages and surrounding areas.
I recommend using two coats , however depending on color and quality of paint, I have used one coat on occasions.

Two coats of an eggshell is your best bet. A second coat will guarantee washability and a consistent look. Two coats does not mean it will cost you twice as much because the 2nd coat is much faster because the walls are already cut in and probably taped. Good luck.