Interior walls and ceilings
It's amazing the difference that a fresh coat of paint can make to the rooms in your home. You can change the look and atmosphere of a room just by changing the colour of the walls and ceilings. And if you've ever had one of those "either the wallpaper goes or I go" days, Resene shows you how to hide any long-gone fashion trends with a coat of paint. You also need to choose paint to suit the surface.

In your laundry and kitchen you'll need a paint that can cope with a lot of moisture. Here's how to prepare these surfaces in your home and choose the best Resene paint for the job.

Painting paperfaced plasterboard:
Problems can occur due to the differences in porosity of various stopping layers as well as the paper surface of the paperfaced plasterboard. New paperfaced plasterboard must be sealed using either Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer or Resene Sureseal (see First Coat below) before topcoating.

Painting lining paper and wallpaper:
Paper for most part, presents an excellent surface for painting and waterbased paints are pre-eminent in this area. Sealers are not usually required and topcoats are normally applied directly to the paper. There are however some areas where the use of an oil-based sealer, such as Resene Sureseal, is advisable:

  • Unbleached paper in the presence of ultra violet light will yellow due to the formation of dye-like substances. These can cause discoloration of the first coat of a waterbased paint applied directly to the paper.
  • In steamy areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets and laundries.
Old wallpaper:
  • Wallpaper should be checked prior to painting to determine the condition of the coating used. Some old wallpapers used a weak coating which provides an unsatisfactory base for painting. If the old coating will come off as a powder when scratched with a fingernail, an oil-based sealer (Resene Sureseal) will condition the surface successfully.
  • Wallpaper printed with metallic inks should have a test area done to ensure there is no reaction with paints. Any sign of staining would indicate that a sealing operation is necessary.
  • Some vinyls contain plasticisers which can migrate into the paint and leave the paint soft and sticky. A test patch should be done over old vinyls and if this condition exists special sealers are required.

Painting gypsum plaster:
Gypsum plaster is the product of mixing gypsum (calcium sulphate hemi-hydrate) with water. The gypsum takes up water and sets forming the di-hydrate. The set plaster is relatively weak compared to cement renders and always requires a penetrating surface conditioner such as Resene Sureseal. Gypsum plaster is slowly soluble in water and should not be used in wet areas.

Pure gypsum plaster is chemically inert but impurities such as sodium sulphate can cause efflorescence (a deposit of salt like reminants) and additives such as lime putty can cause the surface to be alkaline. If gypsum is deprived of water before setting (e.g. thin films over porous surfaces or thin films on a hot day) setting will not take place and a powdery layer will be left on the surface.

Painting fibrous plaster:
Fibrous plaster is cast from moulds normally using a tallow-based release agent; residues of this can cause painting problems. Where tallow residues are suspected (usually on highly glazed areas), clean the surface with Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner.

Some materials used as set retarders can solubilise iron present which can result in a stained appearance after painting.

Surface preparation:
Ensure all walls and ceilings are clean and dry before starting. Remove any efflorescence (a deposit of salt like remnants) with dry stiff brushes or cloths, remove moss and mould with Resene Moss & Mould Killer, fill cracks and holes, sand any plaster to remove minor surface imperfections and wipe down with a damp cloth to remove dust.

First coat:
Use Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer on paperfaced plasterboard, wallpaper and lining paper in good condition. Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer is a waterbased sealer.

Use Resene Sureseal on gypsum plaster, fibrous plaster, old wallpaper, and yellowed paper. Resene Sureseal is a solventbased sealer.

If the surface you propose to paint is already painted and in good condition, then you can go straight to the Topcoats below.

NB: Resene Sureseal must be used in all wet/steamy areas (i.e. bathrooms, laundries, kitchens).

Topcoats:
Areas such as, the kitchen, bathroom and laundry usually require a hard wearing paint that can be easily wiped down - we suggest two coats of Resene Lustacryl on walls and ceilings. Lustacryl is a semi-gloss waterbased enamel paint.

Other areas, such as the living room, bedrooms and hallways require more subtle paints - two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen acrylic washable wallpaint is recommended here. Increasingly the same coloured Zylone Sheen is being used on well prepared ceilings. If you prefer the more traditional white ceiling the Resene Ceiling Paint is a good and economical option.

The above paints can be applied by brush, roller or spray - we suggest you 'cut in' around all edges (i.e. doors and windows) with a suitable brush and coat the remaining walls with an appropriate roller. Refer to your local Resene ColorShop for further advice.

Follow label instructions at all times.

Click here for colour inspiration.

Cleaning up:
Cleaning up waterbased paints is different to solventbased paints - click here for detailed instructions on clean up.