ᐅ Utility room before installing screed: paint the technical equipment now or later?

Hello everyone,

How did you handle this? Did you paint the utility room before installing all the technical equipment and screed, or only afterward? Both approaches seem to have their pros and cons. I can easily imagine that installing the screed might leave marks on the wall behind. The same applies when installing the plumbing. However, painting around the installations later or partially removing them to paint is probably not ideal either. What are your experiences? Thank you very much.

After the screed; before installation. There are some corners you’ll never really be able to reach again.

Once installed, you can still touch up any visible marks left from the installation if needed.

Caspar2020 schrieb:
After screed; before installation. In some corners, you will never really get access again.

That sometimes doesn’t work. Many systems (electrical, heating, underfloor heating manifolds, hot water tanks) are installed before the screed.

Ours is still in the raw state, meaning a concrete ceiling and walls with only plaster.

That doesn't bother us at all, since it will only be used for laundry, beverage crates, and as a utility room.

Painting it would really be too complicated. Also keep in mind that you’re generally not supposed to paint on fresh plaster. It should dry for a few weeks first, and by then the equipment will already be installed anyway.

We did this before the screed, 2-3 weeks after the plastering. This way, the walls are at least a friendly white instead of gray, and now we wouldn’t be able to reach about half of the walls anymore.

Since our plaster took a very long time to dry (it was applied in January), we unfortunately only did it afterwards. Of course, it was a really tough job, with a lot of masking needed, and some pipes and other elements got painted accidentally.

If possible, I would at least recommend doing it beforehand.