Whitewash the walls and ceiling

Whitewash walls and ceiling

Modern water-based paints are of easy and quick application, they also dry quickly without leaving any unpleasant odor. If you decide to work only with a brush, roller or without the use of more sophisticated tools, you will need one of 10x3 cm (commonly called paintbrush) and a smaller one, 5x1 cm (brush), suitable for finishing and for painting the corners .

1) The furniture should be taken away or grouped in the center of the room and covered with old sheets or newspapers.

2) If the wall has cracks, fill them with stucco for masonry. Apply the stucco with a spatula and make the surface perfectly smooth.


3) Start brushing with a small brush along the edges of the walls and ceiling. Then take the paintbrush.

4) Apply the painting along vertical lines using a paintbrush at least 10 cm wide.


5) Then you make it look more uniform by moving the brush along horizontal lines.

6) When brushing the ceiling, make sure that the brush does not absorb an excessive amount of painting: this would drip along the grip and then on you.


7) Paint the ceiling an area after the other. To switch among them move the ladder or the scaffold.

8) Around the objects embedded in the wall, such as sockets and switches, use a suitable brush.


9) A string passed in the chalk and stretched along the edge of the base must be made to take carefully mark the limit of painting.

10) Use a brush to apply the paint finish as accurately along the line of the hoof.

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Whitewash with no errors

If you need to whitewash both the walls and the ceiling, it is appropriate starting from the latter, to then proceed with the walls and finally with the coating of window frames and other parts made of wood or metal.

The easiest-to-use product is the water-based paint, which dries even faster. There are now also gel types that have the advantage of not dripping and therefore are particularly suitable for the ceiling.

For premises where there is the problem of condensation such as bathrooms and kitchens, it is better to opt for breathable water-based paints based on acrylic or synthetic enamels that are more difficult to apply and have a longer drying time, but that have the advantage of lasting longer in time.

Two coats of paint are sufficient both for the walls and the ceiling, however, if the surfaces are porous or have been whitewashed with a darker color, it is better to give even a third hand.

To know the amount of product you need, you will need to calculate the surface area to be covered and multiply it by two or three depending on the case.

The covering capacity of the products varies depending on the brands, but following the directions on the packaging, you will know how many liters are needed to cover the area concerned.

For painting, you can use the roller or brush, but you will also need a buffer, useful to treat the difficult points, such as corners, recesses, protrusions, edges of doors and windows.

The rollers can be of various types, the best ones are in lamb's wool or mohair. The length of the hair varies depending on the type of surface: smooth surfaces for a short hair to long hair for those rough or embossed.

For painting ceilings is useful to have an extension. Usually the handle of the roller has a recess just to use it.

The buffers are very small and easy to handle and are used to paint those tough spots like the corner between the wall and ceiling and the contours of the windows.

To use the rollers you need special trays with inclined bottom, in which to pour the paint, which are usually sold together.

For the brushes, however, is useful to have the buckets, to avoid transporting around the room the entire tin, which is heavier.

To paint the ceiling and the upper parts of the walls is necessary to use a ladder, although it is much more comfortable and safer to use a scaffold, like those that the painters use, you can also rent them.

In order not to make dirt, it is useful to apply masking tape, easy to peel off the one that the painters use, around the switches and door and window jambs.

To use the roller, pour the paint only on the bases of the basin. Wet the roller and roll gently up and down on the inclined section with grooves so that you soak well.

Then place the roll on the wall and slide with criss-cross movements. After working in one direction, immediately switch to the next, taking care not to overload the junction points, in order to avoid that there is a noticeable excesses of paint.

To use the brush, first wipe it off with warm water and remove the hairs that come off. Then dip it in the bucket of paint for about two-thirds of the bristles, without going too deeply, so that after the paint won't run down the handle.

To use the buffer, pour a little of paint in a bowl and mix it with water. Then dip it horizontally, dipping only the lower part in wool. Wipe off the excess on the edges of the bowl and then pass it on the surface to be painted.

Once the work is completed, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the tools, especially if you used the water-based paint that dries quickly and can dry out. Use specific solvents, especially in case of use of acrylic enamels and then wash them in water and soap. The bristles should be kept upright to dry, and then the brushes should be stored horizontally.