Painting your home — not as seen on TV

Are you allowed to paint?

If you are a living in a rented apartment, chances are that the owner will not allow any sort of modification to the house. Even if it is allowed, the paint job will be removed when you move out. The hard truth is that unless you are living in your own home, repainting is not a viable option. 

The plain walls (and ceilings) hide a lot 

The typical brick and mortar walls that are covered in concrete and coated with plaster need a lot of work before they can be re-painted. It is not as simple as buying the desired shade of colour and some brushes and getting to work on the walls. 

The old paint has to be completely scraped off, which takes about a day or two of vigorous scrubbing with a sandpaper, on every single inch, depending on the size of the house and dexterity of the people working on it. 

Then a primer coat has to be applied, which needs another day to set in. After that, the actual painting process can begin. This too needs care as it can get tricky around doors and glass windows. 

Spread across weekends only, the entire painting project can turn into a month long activity.

It's not only about brushes and paint rollers

So you calculated how much paint you will need and got 3" brushes and durable paint rollers. But how will you paint above the 6' mark — stand on a chair or a high stool? Step ladders are the best option for the job.

Additionally, you also need to consider the type of paint you will choose —Teflon coating or easy-cleaning? Or is it going to be a colour-pop with designs? 

The existing furniture also needs to be moved and covered as well. The post-paint cleanup is also a tedious job that takes time and resources. So plan carefully.

These basic considerations may halt the creative bug nagging you. But if you are determined to overcome these, then go for this one-of-a-kind family project.

Start small

Begin with one of the inner rooms. The bedrooms may not be a bad choice, but since it will have to be evacuated for some time, consider a single wall first. Living rooms and guest rooms are best left to work on after gaining some experience.

Know the shops

Ppaint providers like Berger, Roxy, Asian Paints and Nippon Paint have their own stores. At the same time, they can provide ideas and estimations, based on requirements — all for a small fee. Also, never look past a good recommendation.

Interior wall painting can be a fun project but just like any project, it too needs a 'look before you leap' approach. Often, going to professionals may be a better choice since they have the experience and resources any first timer inevitably lacks. Just to be clear, if the paint commercials can convince viewers that they are capable of painting their own homes, it is a success in itself! After all, a house becomes a home with every little personal touch, and painting the house surely happens to be one of the biggest of them all.

Photo: Collected