Paint for plasterboard: selection and application

Painting plasterboard can completely change the look of your room, but for the best results, the paint must be applied correctly and carefully chosen. Gaining an understanding of the subtleties of paint types and techniques will help you achieve a flawless finish whether you’re painting new walls or updating old ones.

Drywall, another name for plasterboard, is a common material for interior walls because of how simple it is to install and how smooth its surface is. It does, however, call for some preliminary work prior to painting. Choosing the right paint is essential to guarantee longevity, vibrant color, and a polished appearance.

This post will walk you through the process of selecting the best paint for plasterboard and provide application advice. Whether you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer or a novice to home remodeling, these tips will assist you in giving your plasterboard walls a smooth, durable finish.

Requirements

Above all, GKL is exclusively used for interior design. It is not used in atmospheric conditions, just like all other gypsum-based materials. Nonetheless, plasterboard can be utilized in restrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms that experience large temperature swings and high humidity.

Thus, the ideal paint for us would be:

  • Washable. In the kitchen, you periodically have to remove splashes of grease from the walls, in the bathroom – shampoos and detergents;

  • Resistant to abrasion. In small rooms, you will inevitably touch the walls with clothes, and it is better that they do not change color;
  • Elastic. GKL is a hygroscopic material, and with fluctuations in humidity, each sheet will slightly change its linear dimensions. If the wall covering is not elastic enough, the seams may crack;

To be clear, a variety of actions are required along the GKL’s seams to prevent cracks, such as pointing the seams, strengthening them, and (occasionally) bandaging them with paper tape.

  • Odorless. It is quite difficult to provide ventilation of the room and not use it for at least two or three days in a cramped city apartment;
  • Quick-drying. I think this requirement does not need any comments.

Varieties

So what does the contemporary market have to offer?

Our options are restricted to water-dispersion dyes due to requirements for odorlessness and drying times. Unlike organic solvents, a water base only releases water vapor into the air during the drying process, and GOST 28196-89 states that it only takes an hour to dry one layer.

Nuance: the point at which freshly applied paint quits clinging to your fingers and discoloring your clothing is what we’re referring to. In 24 to 48 hours, the coating reaches its maximum strength.

Can water-based paint be used to paint drywall?

Naturally. Vodsulsiones are a particular type of water-dispersion dye in which two uninhabited substances make up the dispersed system, whereas an emulsion is referred to as a dispersed system of two liquids. Emulsions and dispersions of water can paint plasterboard because they moisten its surface.

Here is a list of dye families that satisfy all other requirements:

A hint: the paint package uses the word "facade" to denote the qualities that are significant to us. Every dye used for external work is resistant to abrasion and atmospheric effects. This implies that they work well in moist rooms as well.

Selecting the appropriate paint is essential for painting plasterboard in order to achieve a smooth, long-lasting finish. During the selection process, things like the type of room, the amount of moisture, and the desired aesthetic are taken into account. Painting over plasterboard requires careful surface preparation, including priming, to guarantee good paint adhesion and long-lasting effects. The longevity and appearance of the painted surface can differ significantly depending on the types of paint used and how they are applied.

To help the buyer

Which paint texture—glossy or matte—is more useful?

Each option has advantages of its own: the matte finish better conceals pre-finishing flaws, while the gloss visually enlarges the space due to partial reflection of the interior.

How much paint should I purchase?

Based on the fact that 400 milliliters are actually used for every square meter of wall. As the author of this article has repeatedly noted, this is precisely the consumption that occurs when painting a primed gypsum board surface in four layers.

How can I obtain the color I need? Combine water-soluble pigment with white paint (see. Select an option to learn how to tint paint.

There are various nuances to tinting:

  • It is not advisable to use more than one pigment for tinting. The result of mixing several colors can be quite unexpected;
  • You need to tint the entire volume of paint you purchased at once. It is almost impossible to get the same shade twice with manual tinting;

  • It is advisable to keep a small amount of tinted dye in reserve – for repairing damage to the painted surface.

Application

For additional information on painting drywall, watch the video in this article.

Preparing the base

It is necessary to finish the following tasks before painting:

  1. Seams expansion. This involves chamfering the edges of sheets cut on site, and helps to fill them as tightly as possible when filling;

  1. Seam reinforcement. Usually, self-adhesive serpyanka is used for this purpose – a fiberglass mesh 5-8 cm wide;

  1. Seams and fasteners filling. This is done at least twice, since even the so-called shrinkage-free gypsum fillers in practice still give a small shrinkage. When filling, the serpyanka texture should be completely hidden under the finish;

  1. Sanding. Reinforced and putty-covered seams are sanded with a hand float or, which is much more convenient, with a grinder – vibration or disc;

The plasterboard should be sanded under bright, oblique light. Uneven lighting will not escape your notice because shadows draw attention to them.

  1. Dust removal. The walls and ceiling are brushed or vacuumed: the dust remaining on them after sanding will make the walls uneven when painting and will interfere with the adhesion of the finish to the base;
  2. Primer. The surface to be painted is primed with a primer on the same basis as the paint you have chosen – acrylic or silicone (see. DIY Primer for Drywall).

Can drywall be painted without having to paint the entire surface? Indeed. Paints that dissolve in water smoothly rest on kraft paper.

There are only two situations where it is required to staple the entire drywall surface:

  1. Under wallpaper (see. How to fill drywall under wallpaper and under other types of finishing). A separating layer of putty will allow you to remove them during the next repair without tearing the cardboard shell of the gypsum board from the core;
  2. If the seams at the joints of sheets cut on site stand out in thickness. A millimeter layer of putty will hide them, bringing the surface of the gypsum board to the same level.

Tools

What equipment is required to paint gypsum board?

The following set is used by the author:

  • Roller. Fur coat – shaggy, medium length. Foam rubber coats are less convenient: they absorb too little paint;
  • Painting tray. It is very convenient to roll out the roller in it;
  • Brush. It can be used to paint the junctions of walls with doors, windows, sockets and internal corners. It is not worth painting the planes of the walls with a brush: compared to a roller, this tool leaves much more stripes.

Furthermore, we highly recommend that you buy masking tape. It lets you create intricate patterns on the walls by combining different colored paint to prevent painting unnecessary areas.

Technology

How can you paint walls or ceilings by hand?

The directions are very straightforward:

  1. Paint the corners and borders of the wall with a brush;
  2. Pour paint into a tray and roll out the roller;
  3. Apply an even layer of paint with a roller;
  4. After it dries, repeat painting until the color becomes uniform over the entire surface.

As usual, the finer points and subtleties count.

  • At least two weeks should pass from filling the seams to painting. During this time, the hydration reactions in the plaster will end. Hurry up – you will get dark stripes at the seams;
  • The paint should have the consistency of fatty milk. Excessive viscosity will only increase its consumption and decorate your walls with streaks. The dye is diluted to the desired consistency with water (no more than 1/10) and thoroughly mixed throughout the volume;
  • The temperature in the room should be no lower than +5 and no higher than +30 degrees. In cold weather, paint becomes viscous or freezes, and in hot weather, it dries faster than you spread it over the surface of the walls;
  • Layers of paint should be applied perpendicular to each other, with the last layer lying parallel to the light from the brightest source (chandelier or window). This way, the stripes from the roller will be the least noticeable;

  • The next layer is applied after the previous one has completely dried;
  • The plane is painted in one go. If you let a section of a wall or ceiling dry, with further painting, a thickening of the coating will be noticeable at its border.
Aspect Details
Paint Type Acrylic paint is ideal for plasterboard due to its durability and ease of application.
Primer Use Always apply a primer before painting to ensure better adhesion and a smooth finish.
Color Selection Choose light colors to make rooms appear larger and brighter.
Application Tools Use a roller for large areas and a brush for edges and corners.
Drying Time Allow the paint to dry fully between coats, usually 2-4 hours.

Selecting the appropriate paint for plasterboard is crucial to attaining a polished, seamless appearance. You can improve the longevity and aesthetics of your walls and make sure they last a lifetime by choosing the right kind of paint.

Choosing the right paint is not as important as applying it correctly. For optimal results, give the surface a thorough cleaning, apply primer, and apply the recommended number of coats. By paying close attention to details, common problems like peeling, uneven coverage, and streaks can be avoided.

The correct method can make all the difference when painting a new plasterboard wall or renovating an old one. Your walls will look fantastic and keep their finish for many years with proper application and selection.

Video on the topic

What paint to choose for the kitchen and bathroom

How and what paint to choose for the walls in the apartment. Types of paints for renovation

Which paint to choose for painting a plasterboard ceiling latex or acrylic?

How to choose paint for the CEILING? Is it possible to paint with WALL paints? What is the difference? Apartment renovation.

How to properly putty drywall for painting, from A to Z. Part 2

Which putty to choose ?

What interior style do you like the most?
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Dmitry Stepanov

Professional decorator with 10 years of experience. I know everything about renovating apartments, houses and offices. I will be happy to share my knowledge and experience with you.

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