Hello, I have a question about doing the painting myself. I’m considering painting my new build on my own. So far, it has been included in the overall price.
I have years of experience from a holiday job with a painting company, where I painted apartments and smaller spaces like cafés, so I’m not afraid of the work and I have some experience. However, that was always repainting existing coatings.
Painting a new build for the first time is new territory for me. So my question is: is it doable with two people? How many days should we roughly plan for? The area is about 200 m2 (2,150 sq ft) of living space. The builder will naturally handle plastering and filling.
Also, do you need to prime the surfaces first, or do you apply the paint directly (probably 2–3 coats)?
Thanks in advance!
I have years of experience from a holiday job with a painting company, where I painted apartments and smaller spaces like cafés, so I’m not afraid of the work and I have some experience. However, that was always repainting existing coatings.
Painting a new build for the first time is new territory for me. So my question is: is it doable with two people? How many days should we roughly plan for? The area is about 200 m2 (2,150 sq ft) of living space. The builder will naturally handle plastering and filling.
Also, do you need to prime the surfaces first, or do you apply the paint directly (probably 2–3 coats)?
Thanks in advance!
M
motorradsilke31 Dec 2022 12:46xMisterDx schrieb:
If you have the 15,000–20,000 EUR for painters nowadays for a 150m² (1,615 sq ft) house, for 200m² (2,153 sq ft) it can easily reach 25,000 EUR.
Why do you actually want silicate paint, or on gypsum substrates only dispersion silicate paint is suitable anyway, if you’re sealing the wall underneath with adhesive and fleece?
A vapor-permeable paint only makes sense if it is applied directly to the plaster and there is no vapor-resistant barrier like painter’s fleece in between.
The underlying plaster and masonry should remain vapor-permeable to help regulate indoor humidity.
A few millimeters of silicate paint won’t make any difference there...
You might as well use the much cheaper dispersion paint.
Personally, I decided I’d rather see some cracks than seal my new build with monolithic masonry from the inside using fleece like a milk carton.
Besides, you save yourself the very time-consuming step of wallpapering, including the cost of materials... especially with fleece, it takes ages if you are not a professional, since painters apply 1-meter (3.3 ft) wide strips.
And you’ll have to level/sand the walls to finish anyway, whether you use fleece or not...
PS:
In the end, it’s always a question of how perfect it needs to be. I am willing to accept small flaws if I can say, “I did this myself and saved a compact car’s worth of money.” I agree with that. Especially since you’ll have furniture against the walls, curtains, pictures hanging, and so on anyway.
We did it ourselves too, but only filled the roughest uneven spots because we didn’t have time, then simply painted everything white. In the hallway we used textured roller plaster, on the other walls StoColor Sil In. One primer coat, two topcoats. We’re still satisfied except for a few small spots. I’ll redo those next year and add some color; so far everything is white.
1. Painter’s fleece ≠ non-woven wallpaper
While the latter is often made of fiberglass, which is vapor-tight, painter’s fleece is usually made of cellulose and textile fibers and is generally vapor-permeable.
2. Even without a vapor-permeable layer underneath, silicate-based paint is preferable to dispersion (latex) paint regarding mold risk, since silicate paints inhibit mold growth.
3. One sanding is enough if the basis weight is high enough. At 150g/m² (4.4 oz/yd²), remaining dents and small depressions are well covered.
My recommendation would be: do the sanding yourself, have the painter’s fleece (higher quality) installed by a professional, and then paint it yourself.
This saves costs, distributes tasks according to skill level, and results in a good overall outcome.
While the latter is often made of fiberglass, which is vapor-tight, painter’s fleece is usually made of cellulose and textile fibers and is generally vapor-permeable.
2. Even without a vapor-permeable layer underneath, silicate-based paint is preferable to dispersion (latex) paint regarding mold risk, since silicate paints inhibit mold growth.
3. One sanding is enough if the basis weight is high enough. At 150g/m² (4.4 oz/yd²), remaining dents and small depressions are well covered.
My recommendation would be: do the sanding yourself, have the painter’s fleece (higher quality) installed by a professional, and then paint it yourself.
This saves costs, distributes tasks according to skill level, and results in a good overall outcome.
X
xMisterDx31 Dec 2022 15:41Either I want silicate paint, in which case I prefer to have as few organic components as possible in my wall construction. Or I apply a fleece, then it doesn’t matter whether it’s silicate paint or a pure dispersion paint.
Dispersion paint does not fully block moisture either, but truly vapor-permeable is something different.
The wall behind a fleece will neither absorb nor release nearly as much moisture as without the fleece and adhesive.
But yes, you can of course do it that way. Your painter will naturally charge you accordingly. They’re not stupid and will think when giving a quote,
“Sure, the complicated dirty work is what I’m supposed to do, you probably can’t handle that, right? And the simple jobs, where we actually make a profit in the overall calculation, you want to do yourself... Well, then I’ll just give you my price, my friend 😉”
Dispersion paint does not fully block moisture either, but truly vapor-permeable is something different.
The wall behind a fleece will neither absorb nor release nearly as much moisture as without the fleece and adhesive.
But yes, you can of course do it that way. Your painter will naturally charge you accordingly. They’re not stupid and will think when giving a quote,
“Sure, the complicated dirty work is what I’m supposed to do, you probably can’t handle that, right? And the simple jobs, where we actually make a profit in the overall calculation, you want to do yourself... Well, then I’ll just give you my price, my friend 😉”
In my experience, wallpapering is a very agreeable task for professional painters. They have the skills and it creates very little mess, whereas for a novice it can be quite fiddly.
Sanding is probably the messiest job in the strictest sense, but with the right tools, it is not particularly demanding from a craft perspective. It is common that single tasks are relatively more expensive compared to the entire scope of work, mainly because of fixed costs.
However, I have had good experiences taking over the lengthy or dirty jobs from the craftsmen themselves. As mentioned, sanding is very dusty. Painting itself is time-consuming due to drying times.
Professional painters can handle wallpapering alone. It can be completed quickly without waiting times, and breaks can be taken after each strip.
To reiterate, with silicate paint, the focus is not only on diffusion but also on the lack of nutrients or even a mold-hostile environment. Due to strong alkalinity, silicate paint acts as mycophobic regardless of the substrate.
Sanding is probably the messiest job in the strictest sense, but with the right tools, it is not particularly demanding from a craft perspective. It is common that single tasks are relatively more expensive compared to the entire scope of work, mainly because of fixed costs.
However, I have had good experiences taking over the lengthy or dirty jobs from the craftsmen themselves. As mentioned, sanding is very dusty. Painting itself is time-consuming due to drying times.
Professional painters can handle wallpapering alone. It can be completed quickly without waiting times, and breaks can be taken after each strip.
To reiterate, with silicate paint, the focus is not only on diffusion but also on the lack of nutrients or even a mold-hostile environment. Due to strong alkalinity, silicate paint acts as mycophobic regardless of the substrate.
X
xMisterDx31 Dec 2022 16:01Anyone who chooses silicate paint thinking it prevents mold and means they have to ventilate less or generally pay less attention... well, they can go ahead.
I want this paint because it improves the indoor climate. And nonwoven fabric definitely has no place here.
I want this paint because it improves the indoor climate. And nonwoven fabric definitely has no place here.
xMisterDx schrieb:
That’s not where fleece belongs.And that’s nonsense. Painter’s fleece is breathable! It’s not a vinyl wallpaper!Similar topics