Substrates and Surfaces - Interior
Painting the doors in your home can make them look brand new.
Preparation
Wedge the door half open, remove the handle and cover the floor with newspaper. A door is likely to have collected dirt and grease, so you need to thoroughly wash and abrade with wet and dry paper with a mild detergent. Ensure any glossy surfaces are flattened. Dust off when sanded
Paint
If you have a brand new bare wood door, you will need to treat it with a wood primer before painting. We recommend Otex Akva for previously painted doors or Helmi Primer for bare MDF. Akvi Primer can be used for spray applications.
Painting
For best results, a door needs to be painted in a certain order. Start with the edges, then move on to the mouldings and panels, using the edge of the brush for the recesses. On the flatter surfaces, use the flat of the brush to cover the surface with paint, brush left and right, followed by up and down strokes to spread the paint evenly.
Once you have done the inlays, move on to the rest of the door. First, paint the vertical centre panels, followed by the horizontals, before finishing with the long side strips.
To achieve a good finish, load the brush generously and spread the paint across the surface, before finishing with long, gentle brush strokes. Do not rework the paint once it’s started to dry as this will create an uneven finish.
Tikkurila's topcoat options are noted below:
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on sheen level required
- Akvi Top DS25
If you require more advice on painting interior doors, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here
Drywall is the most widely used material for finishing interior walls and is found in homes in many areas of the world. Drywall, also called Sheetrock, gypsum board and rock lath -- is created by mixing together gypsum plaster and fibre, then wrapping the concoction in a heavy paper and letting it set. Once it's set, the resulting product is a heavy, solid material perfect for forming walls and ceilings.
Painting drywall is relatively easy. However, to get the best results, you should follow a specific process that includes a certain amount of prep work.
Your paint job starts with cleaning the surfaces to be painted, probably walls or a ceiling. Every wall and ceiling has plenty of dust, cobwebs and other dirt particles on it, even if they're not visible, and you don't want to be painting over them. The drywall in kitchens and bathrooms is especially prone to collecting dirt: oil, grease and food particles in the kitchen; hairspray, cosmetics and airborne shampoo particles in the bathroom. The new drywall is extra dusty. You can clean most drywall easily with a vacuum or microfiber tack cloth, but do wash areas in your kitchen and bathroom with a household cleaner to make sure you pick up any grease, oil and heavier dirt.
Once cleaned, apply a coat of Optiva primer. People often omit this step to save time and money, but primer can help conceal drywall mud and tape, so it's especially critical if you're painting new drywall. And since new drywall soaks up a lot of paint, applying primer may mean you only need two final coats, not three. Quality primer is also essential if you're trying to cover a glossy finish, prevent the old colour from bleeding through or seal any stains on your wall, including mildew and water. Tint your primer to match your final colour, unless it's a deep tone. In that case, tint it to one of Tikkurila's primer shades.
For top coating, most of Tikkurila's interior emulsions can be used. Optiva durables range includes a wide selection of sheen levels, including Optiva 3, Optiva 5, Optiva 7, Optiva 20 or Optiva White.
- Start off by washing the furniture to be painted using Tikkurila’s Maalipesu cleaning solution. This product removes dirt, grease, oil, wax and other substances from the surface. It is also a great product for pre-treating the surface before painting to mattify the area and create better adhesion.
- Next, sand your furniture and get all of the glossy finish off so that the paint will have a good surface to “grab” onto. Medium grade sandpaper should be fine. If you are painting as opposed to staining, there is no need to strip the finish or sand it down to the bare wood. Simply removing the glossy finish will suffice. If the surface is already dull, you can skip this step.
- Use our Helmi Furniture Filler to patch up any damaged areas.
- After filling and sanding is done use a soft tack cloth for lifting and removing the sanding dust from the surface. These tack cloths are treated with linseed oil and remove even the smallest amount of dust and dirt. Tack Cloths are ideal to use between inter-coat sanding to achieve the most immaculate and smooth finish.
- Once all the cleaning and sanding prep is done you are on to masking the area for painting. Deltec Purple or gold tape will help you to achieve sharp paint lines and avoiding any paint bleed and will not leave any residue behind when removed.
- For priming the surface use our Helmi furniture primer. This is a water-based primer that will aid with coverage and adhesion.
- The Helmi topcoat is a favourite within the professional market that can be recommended for do it yourself and still achieve a flawless spray-like finish. Available in a vast range of colours, choose from Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required.
Some interior floors are hardwood, some are laminate, and others are plain concrete. When it comes to floor painting, it really pays to have the job done professionally. It is a difficult area of the home to paint and when it isn't properly prepared can head to the peeling and chipping of the substrate. Tikkurila have a range of products for flooring but we always recommend seeking technical advice from our team first. Some of our options are noted below.
Primers
- Betolux Akva Primer (for bare concrete)
- Otex Akva (for bare wood)
Intermediate
- Multistop Internal blocking primer if required (ensure left to dry for 24 hours before topcoat)
Topcoat
- Betolux (solvent-based gloss finish)
- Betolux Akva (water-based semi-gloss finish, this quick-drying floor paint allows for a fast turnaround and re-commissioning of the room.)
Lacquering Options for wood
- Unica Super 20, Unica Super 60 or Unica Super 90, depending on the sheen level required (solvent-based option)
- Parketti Assa 20, Parketti Assa 50 or Parketti Assa 80, depending on the sheen level required (water-based option)
NB, if colour is required before lacquering, Parketti Assa Stain can be applied before a top coat of lacquer.
Lacquering Options for concrete
E-mail with details of your project for technical advice.
It is particularly important when painting interior floors to allow the paint to dry and cure before use. Consult the technical data sheet of each individual product for details but in general, you should be able to walk gently on the floors within the first few days, but it can take several weeks before the paint is fully cured.
Flakeboard is a term that often refers to a variety of manufactured wood products used in many aspects of construction. These products are made of smaller pieces of wood that are held together with resins, pressed into panels and cut into boards. There are many different types of these boards, which are often also called particleboards or chipboards.
This is a cheap material used to make everything from walls to furniture. This “green” option is made from scraps of wood, like pine, cedar, and oak, which are pressed together with sawdust. While particleboard is easy on the wallet, it’s not so easy to paint. However, painting particleboard is possible if you follow the proper steps.
Sand
Usually, particleboard has a veneer or laminate substance adhered to its surface. While this coating has numerous advantages, like protecting it from moisture, paint and primer won’t adhere to this surface. Whether your particleboard has this coating or not, you should sand the board before trying to paint it.
If your particleboard has a coating, use 120-grit sandpaper over the entire surface. If your particleboard doesn’t have a coating, lightly sand it with 220-grit sandpaper. Then, use a tack cloth to remove the dust.
Prime
Prime with Otex Akva
Paint will adhere better to particleboard that has been primed. Apply primer, and then wait for it to dry completely. Once it’s dry, sand the particleboard again lightly with 220-grit sandpaper. Clean up any dust with a tack cloth.
Paint
Once you’ve applied primer and sanded the pressed-wood board, you can begin painting. Paint the particleboard thoroughly and evenly with a paintbrush. Let the first coat dry, and then lightly sand it and clean it with a tack cloth before applying another layer.
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
If you require more advice on painting over the flakeboard, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to our technical team.
If you’re not quite ready to commit to the costs of replacing tiles, you can paint them instead.
Floors tiles do take a lot of wear and tear for obvious reasons, so while it may not be a long-term solution, it is a low-cost and easy approach to covering up old floor tiles in the interim.
Pros:
- It’s much cheaper than replacing old tiles.
- You can choose from a variety of shades to suit the rest of your interior.
Cons:
- It’s not a long-term solution.
- Paint can start to chip and peel off in high footfall areas.
Here are a few simple steps to get you started:
-Ensure your tiles are cleaned and dried thoroughly.
-Use Otex Adhesion Primer and a paintbrush to prep the tiles.
-Once dried, paint the entire floor with your tile paint using a foam roller. Try Tikkurila's water-based and fast-drying Betolux Akva for a quick turnaround or our solvent-based gloss, Betolux.
-Apply as many coats as necessary for full paint coverage.
It is particularly important when painting interior floors to allow the paint to dry and cure before use. Consult the technical data sheet of each individual product for details but in general, you should be able to walk gently on the floors within the first few days, but it can take several weeks before the paint is fully cured.
Painting over gloss paint on doors, windows and skirtings isn’t difficult, but it does require some time to produce a clean and consistent finish. Start by lightly sanding the gloss paint and then cleaning the surface so you can remove the glossy surface that makes it difficult for paint to adhere to. Then, apply a base coat of Tikkurila's Otex Akva or Otex Adhesion Primer to help your paint stick to the surface.
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Akvi Top DS25
Use at least 2 coats of paint, and allow each coat to fully dry in between applications.
If you require more advice on painting over previously painted glossy surfaces, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message here.
Treating wood can be a minefield with so many products to choose from - not to mention the array of characteristics found in different types of timber.
Typically more care is needed with softwoods due to weaknesses like knots, splits, lack of durability, blue stain, etc, but the tendency with hardwoods is to retain the natural grain appearance, often resulting in under-application of coating, and subsequent earlier breakdown.
That said, some hardwoods can be very difficult to paint because they have an oily surface (see notes below). The key before application is to remove all surface oils using cellulose thinner and rinse with clean water
Prone to tannin bleed
Coloured timbers such as oak, Western red cedar and idigbo are prone to tannin bleed. Degrease with cellulose thinner and ensure the timber is thoroughly coated all round (with particular attention to end grains).
Contains acidic tannins which discolour with metal fixings
Hardwoods including Oak, Western Red Cedar and Idigbo. Degrease with cellulose thinners and avoid the use of steel (ferrous) fixings.
Contain oils/gums/extractives (slow drying and poor adhesion)
Hardwoods including Teak, Iroko and Keruing. Degrease with cellulose thinners and allow extra drying time.
Priming Options
- Ultra Primer
- Akvi Primer (Spray Only, Fast Drying)
Intermediate
- Multistop (ensure left to dry for 24 hours before topcoat)
- Akvi Isolator (ensure left to dry for 24 hours before topcoat)
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Akvi Top DS25
Lacquering Options
- Kiva 10, Kiva 30, or Kiva 70, depending on the sheen level required
- Akvilac FD-J 10
If you require more advice on painting hardwoods, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
Hardboard, a heavy type of fiberboard made from mechanical pulp, graces homes in the form of siding and more recently as artists' canvas. Hardboard comes in various finishes, thicknesses and types to mimic coarse chipboard, plywood or real wood. Preparation for painting depends on the usage of the hardboard. Hardboard siding almost always comes pre-primed to protect it during shipment. Cut edges, factory primed and nonprimed boards require priming before painting.
Priming Options
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Empire Furniture Paint
If you require more advice on painting over hardboard, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to our technical team.
In public spaces, a lot is required of paint: surfaces are subjected to hard wear and intensive cleaning. With the right type of paint, it is also possible to prevent the bacteria from growing on the surfaces and thus reduce the number of contagious infections.
In public spaces, wall and ceiling surfaces must fulfil very high requirements of durability and hygiene. For this kind of use, we have developed Argentum 20, a special finishing paint that forms a hygienic surface that is easy to keep clean. The product contains active silver as an effective agent that will, together with good hygiene, prevent bacterial growth on painted surfaces.
Argentum 20 is a water-borne, semi-matt special finishing paint for professional use on walls and ceilings that require a high level of hygiene. It is suitable for hospitals, other healthcare facilities and service homes among others. Argentum 20 tolerates heavy use in challenging environments and repeated cleaning with detergents and disinfectants used in hospitals, for example.
Where a full anti-bacterial system is not required, Tikkurila's Luja system is also suitable for repeated cleaning with hospital grade detergents
- Prime with one coat of Luja Universal Primer
- Topcoat x 2 with Luja 7, Luja 20 or Luja 40, depending on the sheen level required
If you require more advice on specifications for hospitals, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to our technical team.
Painting kitchen cupboards can quickly (and cheaply) totally change the look of your kitchen.
First, you need to check your kitchen cabinets can be painted. If you have solid wood kitchen cabinets doors you are good to go, just make sure they are properly primed (more on that below).
If your kitchen cabinet doors are laminate or veneer, you have a trickier job on your hands. You can still paint them, but the shiny, smooth surface just means you have to sand and use an adhesion primer to encourage the paint to stick.
First, remove all knobs and handles (as well as the contents of your cupboards and drawers!) Use masking tape to protect hinges and glass and put down dust sheets to protect other parts of the room as necessary.
Next, wash your cabinets down with Tikkurila's Cleaning Agent or a strong detergent solution. This will remove grease and create a smooth canvas. Wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.
When the cabinets are dry, sand with fine paper (you can skip this step if you have melamine or high gloss surfaces). Fill imperfections with Helmi Furniture Filler which is great for filling in gaps on kitchen cabinets and cupboards as it's easy to sand, dries white, and it won't shrink or crack.
Apply a wood or melamine primer depending on the surface.
Priming Options
- Otex Akva (for laminate or veneer)
- Helmi Primer (for solid wood)
Once priming is complete apply two coats of your chosen colour. You might want to use a small roller on doors for a smooth finish. After the first coat is completely dry, sand with a fine paper to ensure a smooth, professional finish. Remember to wipe off any dust with a damp cloth.
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Empire Furniture Paint
If you require more advice on painting kitchen cabinets, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to our technical team.
Laminate is a man-made product (usually plastic) that is actually ‘printed’ to look like it has wood grain. It allows manufacturers to create furniture, cabinets, and flooring for less money.
If you have some laminate coated furniture or laminate kitchen cabinets they can be painted, you just have a trickier job on your hands. The shiny, smooth surface just means you have to sand and use an adhesion primer to encourage the paint to stick.
Ensure you wash the laminate surface down with Tikkurila's Cleaning Agent or a strong detergent solution. This will remove grease and create a smooth canvas. Wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.
When the surface is dry, sand with fine paper. Because it’s often somewhat glossy-looking, it's important to sand it down until the finish is very dull before priming. We recommend using 120 grit sandpaper for this. And, unlike real wood, it’s unnecessary to sand with the ‘grain’
Apply a wood or melamine primer depending on the surface.
Priming
Once priming is complete apply two coats of your chosen colour. You might want to use a small roller for a smooth finish. After the first coat is completely dry, sand with a fine paper to ensure a smooth, professional finish. Remember to wipe off any dust with a damp cloth.
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Empire Furniture Paint
If you require more advice on painting laminate, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send a message to them here.
Limewash is a very traditional finish, used to decorate and protect and protect porous stone and lime rendered surfaces.
Limewash must be stable before painting. If surfaces are chalky/ friable these must be primed correctly to ensure adhesion.
- Prime with one coat of Optiva Primer
- Topcoat x 2 with Optiva 3, Optiva 5, Optiva 7, Optiva 20 or Optiva White, depending on sheen level required
- Ceilings can be top-coated with Anti Reflex 2
If you require more advice on painting over interior limewash, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
Lime plaster is a type of plaster composed of sand, water, and lime, usually non-hydraulic hydrated lime (also known as slaked lime, high calcium lime, or air lime).
- Prime with one coat of Optiva Primer
- Topcoat x 2 with Optiva 3, Optiva 5, Optiva 7, Optiva 20 or Optiva White, depending on sheen level required
- Ceilings can be top-coated with Anti Reflex 2
Whatever system you use, we advise using a breathable system when painting lime plaster, It is widely accepted that for a paint to be classed as breathable it should have an SD value of 1 or lower; the lower the value the more breathable the paint. Tikkurila’s testing is conducted in accordance with PN-EN ISO 7783:2002 and PN-EN 1062-1:2005 standards and can be found on individual product pages where applicable.
If you require more advice on painting over internal lime plaster, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
Generally, this is not something that we would recommend as floor paint does not tend to stick to vinyl or Marley floor tiles very well. Both acrylic and epoxy paints will not absorb into the vinyl. Instead, they will sit on the top and will quickly become very brittle and flake off. If the flooring is waxed this will inhibit the vinyl floor paint even further.
Having said this, painting can often be a short term fix and spare the expense and hassle of removing and replacing your vinyl or linoleum floor covering.
Please note, any vinyl flooring would need to be at least 1 year old before attempting to paint. The most important issue to take into account, is that any dirt, wax or polish has been thoroughly removed before painting is attempted.
If you do choose to proceed with painting the following products can be used:
Priming
Topcoat
It is important to reiterate that there are no guarantees that painting this type of floor will last. It is a difficult substrate and durability may be an issue.
If you require more advice on painting your floor, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard. It is an engineered wood product, which means that it combines wood fibres and wax, which gets pressed together using high pressure and heat.
Some items are better suited to MDF than others. For example, the key disadvantage of using MDF is that it doesn't react well to moisture or liquids. If it gets wet MDF will expand considerably. So, it is advisable to avoid using MDF in bathrooms and kitchens
The process of painting MDF is relatively straightforward, however, there are several crucial steps that you need to remember.
Preparation
You should first gently sand the MDF board with a fine graded paper, ideally with a sanding block – this keeps the surface flat and uniform.
Next, the surface should be wiped with a cloth dipped with a small amount of white spirit. Don’t pour the bottle onto the board as it may stain the board, just apply enough to dampen the cloth. Use this to remove the dust, oils and any contaminants from the area you want to paint
Because the edges of MDF board are incredibly absorbent, you should seal them, even if they will be hidden from view. This can be done by applying several additional layers of primer to the edges.
Once the surfaces are prepared, it’s time to apply the first coat of primer.
Priming Options
- Otex Akva
- Helmi Primer
- Akvi Primer (Fast drying option for spraying)
Topcoat Options
Once dry, the MDF can be painted with your preferred topcoat.
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Empire Furniture Paint
- Akvi Top DS25 (Fast drying option for spraying)
If you require more advice on painting over MDF, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
Melamine is a chemical compound with a number of uses, including manufacturing laminates, glues, dinnerware, and more.
If you have some melamine coated furniture or melamine kitchen cabinets they can be painted, you just have a trickier job on your hands. The shiny, smooth surface just means you have to sand and use an adhesion primer to encourage the paint to stick.
Ensure you wash the surface down with Tikkurila's Cleaning Agent or a strong detergent solution. This will remove grease and create a smooth canvas. Wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.
When the surface is dry, sand with fine paper. Because it’s often somewhat glossy-looking, it's important to sand it down until the finish is very dull before priming. We recommend using 120 grit sandpaper for this. And, unlike real wood, it’s unnecessary to sand with the ‘grain’
Apply an adhesion to provide a suitable surface for the topcoat
Priming
Once priming is complete apply two coats of your chosen colour. You might want to use a small roller for a smooth finish. After the first coat is completely dry, sand with a fine paper to ensure a smooth, professional finish. Remember to wipe off any dust with a damp cloth.
Topcoat Options
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on the sheen level required
- Empire Furniture Paint
If you require more advice on painting melamine, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
It’s important to note that painting new plaster is different to painting an ordinary wall. It requires more preparation and patience! There are extra steps you need to take, including the application of primer paint, before you can add a top coat of your chosen colour.
1. Leave the plaster to dry
First things first, let your plaster dry properly! Plaster is extremely permeable, which means it’ll soak up any moisture quick. That’s why allowing it to dry out will help you achieve a more even finish. There are different factors that influence how soon can you paint on new plaster, such as the type of material and weather. As a rule of thumb, plaster takes up to 4 weeks to dry completely. You can speed things up with a heater or by opening a window.
Note: If you don’t let the plaster dry and apply emulsion paint to wet plaster, it’s likely to crack and peel off.
2. Apply your primer coat
Painting new plaster that’s completely dry can also leave you with uneven brush strokes. So, the next course of action is to apply a primer coat. Our Optiva Primer can be tinted to a wide range of colours to ensure application of the topcoat is easier
The Optiva Primer will soak into the wall and seal the plaster. It’s this extra layer of moisture that will help your topcoat stick, so you can achieve a professional finish. If you spot any flaws in the wall, you can sand or fill them before adding your topcoat.
3. Paint your walls with a topcoat
The final step for painting new plaster is to add your topcoat in that all-important final colour. With all the prep work done, you can now paint your wall and decorate your room as you would normally.
- Topcoat x 2 with Optiva 3, Optiva 5, Optiva 7, Optiva 20 or Optiva White, depending on the sheen level required.
If you require more advice on painting newly plastered walls, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here.
1. Turn Your Heating off and Ventilate the Room
So obvious that it's easy to forget. Wait until it's stone cold so your paint doesn't get drippy (which can happen even if the room is too hot, so if your radiator is warm then it's a problem). And also ensure your room is well-ventilated when you begin to paint.
2. Clean Around the Radiator
Hoover up around the radiator to clear away loose dust, hair, and anything that might get disturbed and become stick in the paint.
3. Clean the Radiator & Sand Down Lumps of Paint and Rust
Clean your radiator using Tikkurila's cleaning agent and then sand it down using sandpaper. The goal is to remove any lumps of paint, rust, and anything that will make your coats of paint uneven.
4. Prime Your Radiator
Prime your radiator with an even coat. This will create a fresh surface for your paint to bond to. It's a quick thing to do that will ensure you get the best results possible. It will also stop and prior rust spots with anti-corrosive properties and protect against future rust problems. If your radiator is bare, or your pipes are bare, then this is an absolute must.
- Otex Akva or;
- Rostex Super Metal Primer (where subject to corrosion)
- Rostex Super Akva
5. Paint the Radiator
Apply your paint now, taking care to ensure a nice even coat all over. Make sure to paint in the same direction as any grooves and avoid 'overloading' your paint brush, which just means having too much paint on it; which results in dripping and lumps.
- Everal Aqua 10, Everal Aqua 40 or Everal Aqua 80, depending on sheen level required
- Helmi 10, Helmi 30 or Helmi 80, depending on sheen level required
- Helmi Radiator Paint (Helmi Radiator Paint is specially formulated for radiators but is only available in one off white shade). The aforementioned products are available in a much wider colour range and are also recommended.
6. Wait, Apply Another Coat if Necessary
Relax and wait until the paint is dry. It's possible your radiator might need another coat of paint once dry.
If you require more advice on painting radiators, give our technical team a call on 0131 334 4999 or send them a message here
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