I have bought a new house and have noticed that the plaster walls have been plainted with water based paint without being sealed. I would now like to repaint and change the colour, how is the best way to do this? Should I apply a sealer over it, or just give it a couple of coats with some good paint?
Firstly .. i can safely assume that the walls have been painted before as even if its a new build , the developer would have given them a couple of coats at least before putting the property on the market ...if the walls are sound and have no imperfections then just paint over them with your choice of covering ,staring at the top ( use a small brush to cut in at the corners etc ) ... work your way down and use a large brush or roller for efficiency .The only rooms in the flat that might need a bit of prep are the bathroom and kitchen ... grease on the walls will repell paint .. so it must be removed first ....trust me .. if you try to piant over it the walls will look patchy and it may even pull the paint from them thats already there ... this is where yer sugar soap will come in handy ... wipe over the surface lightly ( you'll find the top of the walls need it most as heat rises and the grease goes with it lol )..allow it to dry out then follow as before ... hope this helps
As long as the old paint is not peeling off, I would not worry about putting a primer first.
