Interior Painting in Ottawa

Interior preparation starts with an honest look at the walls. Settling cracks above door frames, nail pops in drywall, corners that have been knocked, and the ridges left by earlier repairs all need to be dealt with before paint goes on. Each is filled, sanded flush and checked again under a light held at a low angle to the wall.

Where a wall has been patched repeatedly or the surface is uneven, a skim coat brings it back to a single plane. On older plaster, cracks are opened slightly so the filler can key into them rather than sitting on the surface and opening again with the next seasonal movement.

Trim is sanded to remove raised grain and to dull any factory finish enough for a new coat to grip. Gaps where trim meets wall, and where casings meet jambs, are caulked with a paintable bead that stays flexible. Floors, furniture and hardware are protected before any of this begins, and dust is removed with a vacuum before the first coat is opened.

Most interior walls and ceilings take a waterborne acrylic finish. It has low odour, dries quickly and remains flexible as the building moves. For trim, doors and any surface that is handled constantly, a harder waterborne enamel or an alkyd gives a tighter film and a smoother touch.

Sheen is where most of the practical decisions are made. Ceilings are usually flat or matte, which absorbs light and hides the unevenness that ceilings tend to have. Main walls often take matte or eggshell depending on traffic. Hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, trim and doors take satin or semi gloss, because those surfaces are washed and touched.

Primers are chosen for the surface rather than the colour. Bare drywall and fresh compound take a drywall primer that equalises absorption. Stained ceilings and water marks take a stain blocking primer. Previously painted surfaces in good condition may need nothing more than cleaning and a light sand.

Interior painting does not depend on the weather, which is why winter is a good time for rooms that are hard to empty in summer. It does depend on the conditions inside the house. In February the air is dry and a coat skins over faster than it would in June, which affects how the next coat is applied. In a humid July, drying takes longer and we allow for it.

Older Ottawa houses bring their own considerations. Plaster walls in the Glebe and Centretown hold a finish beautifully but crack with the seasonal movement of the structure. Postwar houses in Nepean often have drywall with taped joints that have started to telegraph through the paint. Both are preparation problems rather than painting problems, and both are handled before the first coat.

Spring is the busiest season for interior painting, and autumn follows as people prepare for the holidays. If you have a specific date in mind, particularly for a whole house or a floor, earlier is better. Rooms that can be done in a short window are easier to fit around other work.

If the house is occupied, the daily routine matters as much as the dates. Tell us when the household is out, when children are home, and whether a pet needs to be kept away from a wet floor. We plan the order of rooms so that at least one usable route through the house is always open.