Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
logo check

Free shipping for orders over € 75

logo check

Ordered before 4 PM, same working day dispatch*

logo check

98% of customers give us a 4-5 star rating

logo check

+50,000 colours

stappenplan muur schilderen

How to paint walls, step by step


Is everyone wall-king away from the walls in your home? Maybe it's time to (re)paint them and become the Wall King (or Queen) yourself 😏 When you've decided it's time to start painting those walls, you might ask yourself the following questions:

  • Should I clean the wall before painting?
  • How can I paint the wall without streaks?
  • How long should wall paint dry before the second coat?
  • What about special cases, such as a newly built wall? 

In short: how do you paint the walls? 🤔 Welcome to our step-by-step guide to wall-painting, aka ‘painting walls for beginners’, where even an avid do-it-yourselfer will certainly take note.


Wall painting 101

➡️ Also want to know how to paint skirting boards? Then be sure to continue down this page. 

➡️ Looking to paint your ceiling? Then check our guide on how to paint a ceiling

Step 1: the proper preparation


  • Use masking tape for skirting boards, window and door frames
  • Also tape off adjacent walls or ceilings if necessary
  • Cover the floor with covering board

The first step is to ensure that everything that is not a wall is not painted along. 

You can easily cover the floor with covering cardboard. Skirting boards and window frames can be neatly masked off with masking tape. But clean them well first, as they can get dusty. And you can cover radiators with foil (but remember to turn them off first!).  

Even if there are adjacent walls or ceilings that do not need to be painted, it is best to tape them off. You can find which masking tape to use on which substrate in this handy matrix by Sigma and ProGold.


ramen en vloer afgedekt met folie

Step 2: check and treat the substrate


  • Clean and degrease the wall very well
  • Apply fixative and/or an appropriate primer*
  • Fill holes or cracks*

* Only if necessary ➡️ Click 'Read more'.

The second step is to take a good look at what state your walls are in. Depending on that, you will either have little to no work here, or just a little more work.

A previously painted wall

Good news if your wall has already been painted once and the paint layer still looks good. Then you won't have much extra preparation work! Indoor walls tend to accumulate some dirt and/or grease deposits. Those need to be removed before repainting the wall so that the paint can adhere properly. 

To clean your interior wall, a simple cleaning agent will suffice. Then you can immediately start on step 3.

An unpainted or absorbent wall

Walls that have not been painted before, for example new plaster or brick, often form an 'absorbent surface'. In other words, the paint you apply will partially soak into the wall and you need to adjust for that. 

How do you know if you are dealing with an absorbent surface? Very simple: test the wall by spraying a little water on it with a plant sprayer. Is the water absorbed into the wall very quickly? Then you have a (highly) absorbent substrate.

In that case, it is important to apply a fixative to your walls first, followed by a good primer. These will ensure that your wall paint will then stay nicely on your wall.

A wall with holes, cracks or other damage

Perhaps you would like a nice plain result. If there are (drilling) holes, small cracks, pits or other small irregularities in your wall, you can fill them out before painting. 

For larger holes, you need an adapted filler. Lightly sand the wall before you start painting. 

Do you see miniscule blemishes, such as hairline cracks or visible pores, in the plaster? And would you like to get rid of them? Then a renovation paint might come in handy.

Do you find it difficult to estimate exactly which remedy you need for the damage to your interior wall? Then ask our experts for advice.

A wall affected by moisture or mould

Here, it is important to tackle the moisture or mould problem first. After all, it will be difficult to apply paint on a damp wall. 

Damp-proof paint is also not the solution to the problem, but rather an aid to avoid repetition of the problem in the future, when combined with moisture control. Once you have tackled the moisture issue, then it is useful to apply an insulating primer first. 

Especially in rooms like kitchens or bathrooms, where there is often vapour and condensation, damp-proof paint is a good idea.

plamuur aanbrengen op de muur

Step 3: paint the walls


  • Start with hard-to-reach areas
  • Work away from the largest light source
  • Use a brush and an anti-splatter roller
  • Work in smaller, overlapping areas


After you have completed all the preparatory work, you can start the most fun part: painting your interior walls in a wall paint and colour of your choice. Here are some tips to keep in mind while doing this:

  1. First paint the places you can't easily reach, such as behind a pipe or a radiator;
  2. Start where you have the most light (around the largest window, for example) and work away from there;
  3. Around window and door frames, skirting boards, etc., it is easiest to paint just next to the tape with a brush first, and then continue painting the adjacent piece of wall with a roller. When doing this, be sure not to wait until the paint you applied with the brush is dry;
  4. Painting walls without streaks? With the paint roller, it is best to divide your wall into imaginary pieces of about 1 m². Again, make sure you overlap each piece while the paint is still wet. Roll in different directions for the least chance of streaks. A paint that is known for its streak-free finish naturally also helps 😉

Wall paint: drying time

How long should wall paint dry before the second coat? Of course, this depends on many factors, such as which paint you specifically use, the humidity of the air, the ambient temperature,... But in general, wall paint is repaintable after a few hours to 24 hours. However, if you want to be sure about the exact time you have to wait, check the paint's technical data sheet. 

muur beige verven met roller
geschilderde plint

Want to paint the skirting boards too?


You already know how to paint walls after reading this step-by-step plan... But what about the skirting boards? 🤔

Do you cover those before or after you paint the walls? Or should you just paint them along with the wall paint? Or better not? 

Good questions! Find out everything you need to know about how to paint skirting boards.

 

Get started

Paint your interior walls with the right paint 

There you go. You now know how it is done! Of course, you still need the right interior wall paint. We're happy to get you started below with some top products for each application. Or you can read more about which paint you need for your walls and ceilings

Paint for painted walls

Bestseller
Sigma Perfect Matt - 10 L - Tintrio
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Perfect Matt
From €22.45 

Paint for porous walls

Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Sigmafix Universal Primer
From €22.45 

Unpigmented water-based fixer and primer for indoor and outdoor use based on acrylic dispersion.

Unpigmented water-based fixer and primer for indoor and outdoor use based on acrylic dispersion.

Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Wallprim
From €40.95 

Pigmented absorption-levelling water-based wall primer for indoor use based on acrylate dispersion with "crosslinking technology".

Pigmented absorption-levelling water-based wall primer for indoor use based on acrylate dispersion with "crosslinking technology".

Bestseller
Sigma Perfect Matt - 10 L - Tintrio
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Perfect Matt
From €22.45 

Paint for mouldy walls

Top Quality
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Sigmacryl Prim Opaque
From €33.95 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sigma Sigmaresist Fungi Matt
From €69.95 

Matt hygienic fungus-resistant water-based wall and ceiling paint for interior use.

Matt hygienic fungus-resistant water-based wall and ceiling paint for interior use.

Fixes for damaged walls

Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Red Devil Onetime - Renovation paste
From €3.45 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Dalapro Medium
Variants from €14.95 
From €15.45 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Polyfilla - Grote gaten vuller pasta
From €10.50 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Levis White+ Renovation
From €96.95 

Useful tools

Discount
New
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Wall Painting Set
From €19.75 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Berdy Clearline - Degreaser
From €9.95 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
ProGold Beige Masking Tape with Foil
From €5.95 
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Progold Cardboard Protection
From €33.75 
Discount
New
Tintrio Reviews with ekomi.nl
Sandpaper Set for Walls
From €6.55 

Need help?

If some of the steps aren't entirely clear to you, or if you are in a specific situation that isn't covered by our how-to guide, then our experts will be happy to help.

Contact us

If you already know what you're looking for, you can browse through our wall paint category.

View all wall paint

Ready to start painting? 

Have a look at the videos by Sigma and Levis below so you can immediately see how to paint your walls neatly.