How to prepare and paint a powder room?

simonmckb

Hi BW Community,

I need some help to go through the steps to prep and paint a powder room.

We did have painters in, who have prepped and spray painted the ceiling (which you should just be able to make out in the photo).

I now need to compete this room myself.

There are some dents and minor holes in the walls, they've not be sanded, and the skirting boards, doors and walls need to be painted.

Can you please help me through the steps and advise what products and materials i need?

JacobZ

Hi @simonmckb,

You might like to start by having a read through https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-prepare-a-wall-for-painting and watching the video.

The first step would be to give all the surfaces you're planning to paint a thorough clean with Selleys Sugar Soap. This will remove any dirt, grease and other contaminants that could affect the adhesion of your new paint. https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-prepare-a-wall-for-painting takes you through this preparation process.

Once everything is clean and dry, inspect the walls and ceiling for dents, scratches, old fixing holes and other imperfections. These can be filled with https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-180g-spakfilla-rapid-gap-filler-180g_p1231864 , then allowed to dry.

Once the compound has dried, use a wall sander to sand the repaired areas smooth and give the remainder of the surfaces a light sand. You're not trying to remove the existing paint, just smooth out imperfections and provide a good surface for the new coating to adhere to. Make sure you wear suitable eye and respiratory protection while sanding.

Brush everything down thoroughly afterwards with a clean, soft-bristled broom or brush to remove the sanding dust. The cleaner and smoother you can get the surface at this stage, the better your finished paintwork will look.

You can then apply your primer where required, particularly over the areas you've repaired, before moving on to your topcoats. For the walls, I'd generally use an interior wall paint in a low-sheen finish such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/dulux-4l-interior-paint-wash-wear-plus-kitchen-bathroom-low-sheen-vivid-white-4l_p1370128 which is fantastic in areas with moisture. As this is a powder room, choosing a durable, washable interior paint is worthwhile. The guide How to paint a bathroom is particularly relevant here.

For application, a 230mm wall and ceiling roller with around a 10–14mm nap would be a good general-purpose choice. Cut in around the edges with a brush before rolling the larger areas, maintaining a wet edge as you work.

Have a look at https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-paint-a-room and https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-paint-a-ceiling for some further guidance on the painting process.

For the trims, skirting boards and doors, you'd want to follow more or less the same process of cleaning, filling, sanding, brushing down to remove dust, priming then painting, but you'll want to use an enamel paint such as Dulux Aquanamel. Check out https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-paint-a-door and https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-paint-trims for some guidance on the process.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob