Choosing interior wall paint for your project
Before you get to what colour and how much paint you need, you first need to find the right type of paint for your walls. The best kind of paint depends on the area you are painting in and what you are painting over.
Here are some things to consider when buying your wall paint.
How To Guides
Consider the wall's location
Your home's interior walls are exposed to different conditions depending on their location and should be coated with paints that address those needs.
For example, your bathroom, laundry or kitchen are likely to be damp and humid, and require water-repellent paint and, ideally, a mould inhibitor like the Dulux Wash&Wear® +PLUS Kitchen & Bathroom. While Dulux Wash&Wear®'s washable finish is a great choice for your living or dining rooms. For certain high traffic areas like your entrance, hallway and stairwell, the all new Dulux Wash&Wear® +PLUS Anti-scuff works best.
Consider a low chemical emissions paint like UltraAir® for spaces like the office, work studio, bedroom or nursery for a quick return without being subjected to paint odour.
What finish is best?
Sheen refers to how shiny a paint is and how it reflects light. Choosing the right sheen depends on the surface being painted and your preferred finish.
Gloss paint like Aquanamel® is highly reflective and durable, making it easy to clean and maintain. It’s more commonly used to paint doors or skirting boards. Semi gloss paint has a satin-like sheen and is suitable for interior surfaces like cupboards, doors, trims or certain walls.
Low sheen paints are hard-wearing, easy to maintain and the ideal choice for kitchens, hallways or laundry rooms. They’re known to hide imperfections better than any other sheen types.
Whereas, Matt finish paint softens up the glare in rooms with large windows due to its low light reflective quality and looks more sophisticated.
Learn more about the sheen levels here.
Do I need a prep layer?
It is possible to paint directly over the existing paint if the wall is in good condition, although it's important to ensure the surface is clean, dry, and free from dust, oils, and grease before you begin.
In situations where the wall has stains or mould, it is recommended to use a special stain blocker to prevent them from appearing on the new paint job. The Dulux PRECISION range of specialty stain blockers has a product to suit your stain problem. If you are painting unpainted walls, apply one coat of Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Sealer Undercoat over the entire wall before beginning.
Preparing the surface to ensure paint adheres well and looks its best is important
Watch these videos to understand the process in detail.
Does it matter what colour I am painting over?
When painting over a dark colour, you want a paint that has a good surface hiding power like the Dulux Wash&Wear® +PLUS Super Hide. This paint provides ultimate hiding power due to concentrated levels of titanium pigment and is ideal for covering most dark colours.
Do you want to make a statement?
The Dulux Design Range helps add those special details that make a home unique with it's specialty paints like the Concrete Effect, Light Texture and more. Whether you want to create a statement wall or highlight certain features, this paint range gives a luxurious touch to your home.
Frequently asked questions
Dulux Wash&Wear's new formula protects your walls from mould and mildew with our exclusive 101 Barrier Technology®.
Our 101 Barrier Technology® contains a powerful mould inhibitor and repels water. Creating a hard-wearing surface and keeping your walls looking freshly painted for years.
For humid and damp environments, we recommend painting with Wash&Wear® +PLUS Kitchen&Bathroom.
Discover how to treat and prevent mould.
We've performed rigorous testing to optimise stain resistance, hiding power and toughness to ensure that you can rely on all products within the Wash&Wear® range. Its Dulux 101 Barrier Technology® creates a hard-wearing finish allows you to easily wipe away most common marks, scuffs and stains with a wet cloth, so your surfaces look freshly painted for years to come.
As a general guide 1L of Dulux Wall, Dulux Trim or Dulux Ceiling paint covers approximately 16m squared. Although, when buying paint make sure you check the spread rate of the product, which you can find on the back of the paint can or with the help of this paint calculator.
Low VOC paints like UltraAir® are those that contain less 'Volatile Organic Compounds' (VOC). These paints have a shorter drying time and fewer chemical emissions means you can get back to your room sooner and also maintain the indoor air quality.
Our friendly Help and Advice team can help you. Call 13 25 25 and speak to one of our team members or submit an enquiry via our online form.
Ask an expert. Use LiveChat to speak to one of our consultants for help about colour, products, projects and more.
Fill out our enquiry form and our expert Help & Advice team will get back to you about your request.
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