Important health and safety note: This is archived text from 2017. year, and not a modern instruction for the performance of painting works or a recommendation of specific materials. Old paints, coatings, powdered pigments, adhesives, solvents and substrates may have an unknown composition; they should not be scraped, ground, heated, mixed or dissolved before identification. Moisture, mold, unstable plaster and potentially hazardous ingredients require professional evaluation. For every product today, it is mandatory to follow the declaration, technical and safety data sheet, ensure ventilation, dust control, skin and eye protection and other prescribed personal protective equipment. Special caution is required when working on ladders, near electrical installations, with caustic lime, solvents and unknown old layers. The original recipes, quantities, hand trials and safety claims on this page are preserved as a historical record and are not a substitute for a contemporary product specification or a qualified contractor.
Plastering and painting walls are not part of the new public offer of Savo Kusić. Current focus is wood windows, wood-aluminum windows, custom windows and doors. For a window or door project, you can send request for quote.
The main goal of painting and painting is, of course, to protect and maintain the cleanliness of walls, wooden and metal objects, but this is also one of the most important procedures for decoration. Namely, by painting and painting, we achieve a more beautiful, pleasant and harmonious environment. It is very favorable that the paint industry produces such materials that are very easy to work with, with which even those who do not have sufficient training can work successfully. Such operations do not even require special tools or special qualifications.
Therefore, in this field, everyone can easily express their aptitude for applied art. But before we get acquainted with the technique of painting and painting, we must familiarize ourselves with the basic rules and effects of applying colors.
Color, contrast and harmony
It is known that colors affect a person’s mood, will to work, and even his productivity. We find some color combinations pleasant, others less pleasant. We also know that almost everyone has their favorite color.
Therefore, it does not matter what the colors are, the objects of our environment, furniture, clothes; or if we have multiple colors, what is the combined effect of those colors. This especially applies to the apartment and the objects in it, because we spend most of our lives in the apartment.
In the past, two colors prevailed in the apartment: brown for wooden furniture and the cheapest color for walls, white, the color of lime. Blue, green or orange color of walls, furniture, wallpaper, curtains, etc. it was considered sacrilegious in the past. However, today with the development of modern materials, the color fashion has changed, even flashy color combinations are popular. But modern forms and colors must also be tastefully coordinated, because “modern” does not mean tasteful. It can also be said that: “Colorful is not yet colorful!”
Often, even an expert cannot decide on the correct combination of colors of an apartment, what color of furniture is in harmony with the color of the walls, floor, etc., without serious consideration. The position of young people, who are just starting out in life and are ignorant of applied art, is even more difficult. It is not easy for the elderly who are preparing to move into a modern apartment or change their furniture. The goal of this section of the book is to help everyone in this, providing basic information about colors and their harmony. But it must not be forgotten that those who live in an apartment, in order to feel comfortable, should not betray their taste, because it is not only what they hear or see from others that is delicious. They should conform to the general rules of taste and color harmonies, but they should incorporate their own ideas and their own taste within those frameworks.
The human eye is capable of distinguishing a thousand colors or shades of those colors. Painters, printers, know very well that colors and shades can be obtained by mixing the basic colors: red, yellow and blue. By mixing these primary colors, primary mixed colors (secondary colors) can be obtained: from red and yellow, orange, from yellow and blue - green, from red and blue, violet.
Circles of primary, secondary and tertiary colors
The main (primary) colors and primary mixed colors together give the basic color wheel. It is such a circle on the circumference of which the colors are arranged next to each other in such a way that between the two main colors there is a mixed color that is obtained by mixing the main ones. Therefore, two triangles can be drawn on the basic color wheel. In the arms of one there are the main colors, and in the arms of the other primary mixed colors.
A regular base circle helps a lot to learn the rules of color harmony. Namely, contrasting or complementary colors alternate with each other in the basic color wheel.
Related colors, or colors that “go” with each other, are next to each other in the basic color wheel. Three mutually adjacent colors in the basic color wheel represent the so-called a trio of colors.
Four colors are represented by a pair of related colors, which are next to each other in the circle and a pair of similar colors, but exactly opposite the first pair in the circle, resp. contrasting colors of the first pair.
An example for contrasting colors is blue and orange, for related colors red, orange and yellow three, and for four purple, red as well as yellow and green.
For those who have a good eye, it will not be difficult to distinguish secondary or multiple mixed colors from the already mentioned color spectrum of thousands of shades and to include them among the three main and three primary mixed colors, as well as to determine their corresponding characteristic (contrast, harmonious, etc.).
Let’s also note that basic or primary secondary colors without shades are called direct colors, but this is also the name of those colors that are originally packaged by the manufacturer and that have not yet been mixed with other colors. In the textile industry today, direct colors are less valued and mixed colors are more sought after.
In addition to colors, shades and tones of colors also have a great effect. It is easiest to distinguish tones between white (“zero color”) and black (“complete lack of light”). If you mix contrasting white and black, you get gray. Different tones of gray from white to black make up the gray color spectrum. Gray color is “permanent” by itself (eg it is a favorite for cars), but by adding other colors it helps to create their tones.
Very plastic effects can be achieved with white and black tones. For example on buildings with “sgraffitto” plaster, plastering the shadows creates the impression that the building is made of properly cut natural stone.
In a tastefully decorated and small apartment, contrasts serve to break the monotony, therefore, only a few objects with a contrasting color (e.g. cushions, tablecloth) may deviate from the otherwise similar colors of the furniture and the floor. The basis for the color harmony of a room is certainly determined by the walls, which should be in harmony with the color of the floor.
Due to the better lighting of the room, the walls should be lighter, pastel colors, and the patterns should not deviate much from the basic color, i.e. they must be discrete. Light green creates a sense of calmness, blue a sense of coolness, yellow a sense of warmth, and orange a sense of solemnity.
The contrast of the light from outside is softened by the curtains, but at the same time they obscure the space. While the open window of the balcony connection with nature is closed and covered with curtains, it separates the room from the world. Therefore, taking into account all these factors, you should choose the appropriate combination of colors for individual rooms, so that they correspond to the functions of those rooms.
The light green color of the bedroom walls equally matches the dark or light colors of the furniture, and for contrast, a carpet or a curtain of a complementary color is quite enough.
With white or light pastel colors of the kitchen walls, furniture of a lighter color is also suitable, and for contrast, one switch, one handle or one edge of a matching color is enough. In the bathroom, the best combinations of wall colors, or furniture, are white-red, light green-yellow and light blue-light orange.
If you have a children’s room in your apartment, it can be a bit more colorful, but only the furniture there should be a bit darker in tone.
Greater contrasts can be allowed in the hall.
And finally, let us note that these are not strict rules, but only orientation principles or facts from which everyone should build the harmony of the colors of their apartment at their own discretion.
An example of an interior in which red walls determine the dominant tone
Preparation for prayer
If we have decided on a color, we can start applying the “secrets” of painting works. There are few household jobs whose success depends as much on preparation as painting. For example A newly plastered wall can only be plastered if it is already completely dry, i.e. when the lime contained in it is completely bound. This can be checked accurately by making a 1% alcohol solution of phenolphthalein and applying a drop to the plaster of the wall. If the droplet turns red, it means that the lime has not yet set. We first remove the old layer of mortar or lime with a wide spatula from the already plastered lime wall. The work will be easier and less dust will be created if we first wet the wall well with a whitewash brush. In addition, we have to remove the cracks and unevenness of the plaster. For this, you need to mix gypsum and fine sand in the ratio 1:1 and add enough water so that the mixture can be evenly spread on the wall. This leveling material is applied to the cracks of the wall with a trowel, so that it is flush with the rest of the wall. The wall will only be completely flat if we level the entire plaster.
Phenolphthalein, alcohol solution, gypsum to sand ratio and description of removing old layers are part of the original record here. Today, the maturity and humidity of the substrate, the choice of primer and repair material, and compatibility with the topcoat are checked according to the specific manufacturer’s system. Unknown old coatings should not be scraped or sanded without identification and dust control.
“like a lime”
Many people are probably familiar with the saying: »Jury, like a limestone«. In this saying, we are referring to lime kilns and carts, on which they used to carry unslaked lime around the cities, and when they were caught in a downpour, the lime started to slake.
Lime slaking is, therefore, such a complicated and dangerous operation that it is not advisable to do it during the grinding. It is best to get slaked lime or powdered hydrated lime, which can be easily mixed with water.
Lime can be highly alkaline and cause severe skin and eye injuries. Slaking of lime and preparation of lime mixtures should not be carried out according to this archive text; product selection, mixing, protection and first aid must follow the current safety data sheet and manufacturer’s instructions.
Painting
Less important rooms (kitchen, other ancillary rooms, etc.) can be whitewashed only with milk of lime (fig. 1) instead of plastering.
Image 1 — Historical representation of the preparation and application of milk of lime
For this operation, it is necessary to mix well 4-5 kg of slaked lime with about 10 liters of water. It is recommended to strain the mixture obtained in this way through a sieve in order to remove larger lumps and dirt from it. With this amount of milk of lime, a room with an area of about 4 x 4 m can be whitewashed. The layer will be thicker if we add and mix well about 1 kg of white soil to the mixture. White earth should be soaked in water for 1-2 hours before adding. The whiteness of the color can be increased by adding 1-2 dkg of ultramarine. Adding about 10 dkg of firnais or some other vegetable oil to the mixture will make it easier to apply to the wall.
These volumes and additions have been preserved for the sake of fidelity to the historical source. They should not be used as today’s recipe: the composition and compatibility of the materials have not been confirmed, and protection against alkaline material, splashes and dust requires a current risk assessment.
We can paint with a squeegee brush or, if we don’t have one, then with a much cheaper fin. Before painting, dust should be removed from the wall with a broom or brush. As lime does not cover well, it is recommended, especially on dirty walls, to whitewash twice.
Lime does not adhere to walls that were already small, after drying the applied layer simply falls off. If we paint a wall like this, we first need to soften the old paint with water and a brush, let it swell and then completely remove it with a spatula.
The advantage of whitewashing is that it does not require particularly high costs and that it also disinfects the apartment. Its disadvantage is that the wall is colorless, gets dirty easily and cannot be washed.
Painting the wall
The wall can be plastered with several types of coatings. One should choose the one that suits the most. If we do not aim for permanence and the ability to wash the coating, then the cheapest and simplest is to paint with colors bound with felt (fig. 2). If our goal is for the coating to be decorative, durable and washable, then we should paint with polycolor.
Image 2 — Historical representation of the sequence of painting works in the room
Painting with colors that are tied with tape
Before starting the sanding, it should be checked whether the existing coating on the wall can be sanded. If that layer is too cracked, swollen or too thick, then it should be removed.
The old layer is removed by wetting it with a wet brush and scraping it off with a spatula. Care should be taken not to damage the plaster under the old coating. This operation is quite time-consuming, but it is a basic prerequisite for quality grinding.
If the cracks on the old layer are insignificant and the layer is not too thick, then it is enough to remove only the swollen and cracked parts with a spatula.
After removing the old coating (or parts), the dust should be removed from the wall with a broom and the wall should be thoroughly soaped. For soaping, you should dissolve about 1 kg of soap in one bucket of water and evenly coat the walls and ceiling with this solution using a brush.
When the walls are already completely dry, the holes, cracks and depressions on the wall are sealed.
You should mix 1 kg of gypsum with half a liter of water containing 5 dkg of pre-prepared and boiled puttkal. The cloth reduces the speed of plaster bonding, so the work is made easier in this way, but the mixture prepared in this way should be used within 15 minutes, which means that only as much mixture must be prepared as will be consumed in 15 minutes.
Plastering of small holes and cracks on the wall is done by spreading the previously described and prepared mass with a spatula, and after drying, completely remove the unevenness with sandpaper or sandpaper.
In the case of higher-quality works, the walls are usually smoothed. For plastering, milk of lime is taken with some puttkal and enough plaster is added to make a mass that can be smeared. This mass is applied to the wall several times with the help of a wide spatula, until the surface is completely flat. (Please note that when using felting, and especially when making the basis for patterning, smoothing may be omitted). Surfaces that are plastered and plastered should be coated with a soap solution. After these operations, grinding can be started as the ultimate goal of the job. First, the boundary lines of plastering on the walls and on the ceiling are marked with a rope, and then the material needed for plastering the ceiling is prepared (fig. 3).
Image 3 — Marking the boundary line with string before moling
In about 5 liters of water, mix 5 kg of strilica and 1 kg of pre-soaked white soil. Mixing can also be done by hand so that the lumps are well crushed.
In another vessel, in 1 liter of water, about 20 dkg of tutkal should be boiled until it is completely dissolved. Care should be taken not to burn the dough during cooking.
We have to cool the putty solution a little and when it is already lukewarm enough, it should be added to the prepared paint solution with constant stirring.
The secret of high-quality wall sanding is in the required amount of added putty. Namely, the required amount of felt for powder paints changes from case to case. Therefore, the previously given amount of ttkal of 20 dkg is only informative, we have to determine the exact amount ourselves. It should be known that at the beginning of adding the soaked and mixed tutkal in the strudel, the strudel starts to coagulate, after the second or third pouring, it is even thicker, and later it becomes thinner. Adding the dough and mixing should be continued until you feel that the mass is thin under your hand and it begins to slowly drip from your hand when you pull it out of the stick. If the fingers of the hand are closed and opened again, a thin membrane of paint is formed between them. To facilitate the application of the paint with a brush, it is added to the paint after the addition of the putty and a few deciliters of milk. You should not make a mistake when adding putty, because if a little is added, the paint is wiped off the wall in the form of powder after drying, and if there is a lot, then the paint falls off in the form of small flakes.
Old powder paint, putty or unknown mixture should not be checked with the bare hand or cooked and applied according to this description. Contact with the skin, inhalation of dust and vapors, heating of materials and use on an unknown surface require an identified product, ventilation and protection listed in its safety data sheet.
The correct amount of putty can also be checked by taking a sample of the mixture and smearing it on a piece of paper. Wait until it dries, then try with dry fingers to see if the color is removed. If it is deleted, more tutkal is added.
After these preparatory works, all objects in the room (wardrobes, chandeliers, etc.) should be covered with paper, so you can start painting the ceiling. Brushing should be done with a “sheiben” brush. We must move the brush evenly, always in one direction and in a direction that is parallel to the direction of the illumination of the wall, because this way the traces of the brush will be less visible. If the ceiling was heavily soiled before sanding, it is recommended to sand it twice. In this case, at the first application, the brush should be moved transversely to the direction of the light. It should never be applied thickly, it is better to apply the paint in several layers. Namely, a thick layer of paint, which is suddenly applied to the wall, quickly peels off after drying.
If the plastering of the ceiling is finished, we can start plastering the side walls.
The side walls are usually painted in light, pastel colors. Pastel colors are created by first making a white base of 5 kg of Viennese white, 5 kg of white soil and about 5 liters of water. 30-50 dkg of powder color is added to this mixture (depending on the desired shade). Powder colors can be very different and we will only mention the most important ones here.
The ivory color is achieved by adding ochre, and the drap color is achieved by adding satinber. The color will be more vibrant by adding Chrome Yellow or Baltimore Yellow. Greenish shades, which are achieved by adding light or dark green (cement or fresco green) are very popular.
The blue color is achieved by adding ultramarine or azure blue. For red colors, you should add Pompeian Red and Oxide Red and Oxide Rotten Cherry. The gray color is achieved by adding black and oxide black.
If the powder paint is well mixed, the required amount of putty is added. For this, about 40 dkg of tutkal should be boiled in 2 liters of water.
When painting the walls, the brush should be moved evenly and vertically.
If the paint on the ceiling and on the walls is already dry, the finishing line is made. The final line should be marked (pinned) first. Marking can be done in the simplest way with a rope smeared with ocher or black paint. One end of the rope is fixed with a nail and tightened well above the desired marking place, pulled with the fingers and suddenly released, so that the paint, or the string leaves a mark. After that, a counter-tone is created from the base color, so that the line is visible, and the final line is shaped with a brush. This work should be done very carefully. It is recommended to use an already used brush for drawing lines, which is “run-in”, and a ruler, or extraction device (fig. 4).
Image 4 — Marking and shaping of the final line
If patterned walls are desired, a tank roller should be used (possibly borrowed). It is especially advisable to pattern the walls, if the wall is not even enough, because the patterns due to the optical effect remove these irregularities. The pattern should be made in the same color or in a matching color with the base color, but in a lighter or darker tone. A little milk should be added for a good adhesion.
If the patterns are made with silver or gold-bronze colors, then instead of the felt, water glass is added to the solution. About half the amount of water should be added to the water glass. To 1 liter of diluted water glass, 10-15 dkg of aluminum or gold-bronze paint is added, depending on the size of the room. After mixing the colors, the mixture needs some time to stand. Instead of a water glass solution, you can also use a solution of egg whites (white of 6-8 eggs with about 1/2 liter of water).
Pigments, metal powders, water glass and improvised binders should not be mixed according to this historical recipe. The composition of the old pigments may be unknown, the fine powder may be dangerous to inhale, and the compatibility and behavior of the finished coating has not been confirmed.
To apply the pattern (painting), the prepared paint should be poured into the roller tank. Press the roller evenly on the wall and pull from top to bottom exactly in the vertical direction. Make sure the basted seams are right next to each other and parallel, otherwise the pattern will be uneven or overlap.
Painting walls with emulsion or dispersion paints
A coating with polycolor or dispersion colors is much more durable and beautiful than a coating with dyes bonded with tkalka. It is especially advantageous that small wall surfaces can be washed with this coating. Dirt, soot deposits are easily removed from the walls with detergent (without lye) and water. The instructions for use should be followed, as a carelessly applied coating may rub off or peel off later. In particular, we must pay attention to the instruction regarding surface preparation. Basic white paint and the necessary pastes for mixing pastel colors can be obtained from the store. Pastes can be obtained in the following colors: yellow, ochre, green, blue, red, oxide red and black.
Roller and tone cards for choosing the final color of the wall
To paint one room with a base of 4 x 4 m, you need about 14-16 kg of base paint and about 1/4 kg of paste in the desired color. The paste content in the coating must not exceed 3%, because a larger amount would reduce the ability to wash the walls. In most cases, about 0,5% paste is sufficient for lighter tones. Before grinding, the entire surface of the wall should be leveled so that it is completely smooth and then thoroughly wet with a brush. Paint must not be applied to a dry surface.
First, priming should be done in such a way that 4 kg of base is mixed with about 1 1/2 Iliter of water, and this mass is evenly and in one direction coated with a brush on the ceilings and walls. When this base dries, the ceiling is coated two more times with a base diluted with about 10% of water. The drying time between two coats should be at least 3-5 hours.
Before starting to paint the walls, you should mix the desired color tone. For this we must first dilute the paste with double or triple the amount of white paint and mix well. This solution should be added to the base white paint with constant stirring. In the meantime, it is necessary to test whether the desired tone is obtained. We have to take care that the color is slightly lighter when wet.
The prepared paint is diluted with about 10% water and applied to the wall in two layers using a brush. Drying time between two coats should be 3-5 hours here as well.
After finishing painting, the brush should be washed immediately in water, because if it dries, the paint can only be removed from the brush with a solvent (acetone, etc.). Drops from the floor should also be immediately removed with water, because after drying they can only be removed with a solvent.
Dispersion paints do not prevent the natural “breathing” of the walls, can be diluted with water, do not have a harmful effect on health, do not create a fire hazard and do not have an unpleasant smell. Dispersion paints can easily be used for mottling as well as finishing lines.
Claims about the impact on health, fire, smell, “breathing” of the wall, water quantities and cleaning method are not automatically valid for all modern dispersion paints. Solvents, including acetone, should not be used without the express instructions of the manufacturer, checking of the substrate, ventilation and protection against fumes and fire. The declaration and the technical and safety data sheet of the exact product are authoritative.
Plastering of external walls
Plastering of external walls is solved most simply by painting. Lime milk obtained by mixing slaked lime and water in the ratio 1:1 is needed for whitewashing. Only stale slaked lime (slaked 2-3 weeks before plastering) is used, because freshly slaked lime does not stick to the wall.
The grinding of the first layer is done only with milk of lime. For the second layer, powder paint in the desired tone is added. Usually, 5-20% of powder paint is added based on the amount of lime.
To achieve the desired tone, only colors that can be mixed with lime can be used, namely: ochre, satinober, Venetian red, lacquer black, oxide black, cement green and ultramarine. Colors like: Light Red, Chrome Yellow, Baltimore Yellow, Fresco Green, Zinc Green, Azure Blue, Odol Blue, Turkish Red, etc. they cannot be used for plastering exterior walls.
To facilitate the application of paint with a brush, it is advisable to add a few percent of vegetable oil (eg linseed oil) to the paint.
Much higher quality and more beautiful coatings can be obtained on facades with polycolor paints compared to lime coatings.
Work on the facade additionally includes safe access and fall protection, weather conditions, protection of the environment and passers-by, condition and moisture of the substrate and compatibility of the entire facade system. The ratios of lime, water, pigment and oil from this historical description should not be applied without current design and manufacturer specifications.