Interior Painting in Vancouver
Paint fails at the preparation stage, not the painting stage. The difference between a job that still looks right in five years and one that peels by spring is almost entirely what happened before the first coat.
How much prep your walls need
Sound walls in good condition need washing, filling of small holes, light sanding and masking. Walls with flaking paint, damp staining, gloss surfaces or previous poor work need considerably more, and that preparation is where the time goes.
We will tell you honestly what your walls need. Painting over a failing surface produces a finish that looks acceptable for a few months and then fails in exactly the same places, which is a wasted job rather than a cheap one.
One coat, two coats, or primer first
Two coats is the normal specification for a durable, even finish. One coat only works when repainting a very similar colour onto a sound, previously painted surface, and even then coverage can be patchy in raked light.
Primer is needed over bare filler, new drywall, glossy surfaces and stains, and when making a dramatic colour change. Going from a dark colour to white without primer can take four coats — priming first is quicker and cheaper.
Cutting clean lines
The line where the wall meets the ceiling, the trim and the corners is what people actually notice. Good lines come from a steady hand and a quality brush more than from tape, though we use tape where a surface needs protecting.
Where the existing ceiling line is wavy — common in older homes that have settled — a perfectly straight painted line can make the waviness more obvious, not less. In those rooms we follow the existing line, which reads as straight to the eye.
Ventilation and dry times in condos
Modern condos are built airtight, which is excellent for heating and awkward for painting. Without cross-ventilation, solvent and moisture linger, dry times extend, and the smell stays noticeably longer than the tin suggests.
We use low-VOC products as standard and plan ventilation before starting. If your unit has windows on one side only, expect longer dry times between coats and let us know in advance so we can schedule the work realistically.
What this costs
$950–$2,400 a room · $7,500–$22,000 whole-home interior
Prep is the variable, not the paint. A sound room in good condition sits near $950; heavy filling, stripping or three-coat colour changes push it up. Exterior repaints run $12,000–$38,000 depending on cladding and access.
Materials are always separate from labour and passed on at cost. Quotes are free and written, and the full rate card is published rather than given out on request.
Common questions
How many coats do I actually need?
Two, in most cases. One coat only suffices when repainting a very similar colour over a sound surface. Large colour changes usually need primer first, which works out faster than three or four topcoats.
Do you move and cover furniture?
We move what can be moved to the centre of the room and cover it, and protect floors throughout. Very heavy or fragile items are best moved before we arrive — tell us at booking so we can plan the room.
How long until the room is usable?
Most latex paints are touch dry within a few hours and fully cured over the following days. Furniture can usually go back the same evening; avoid pushing anything hard against a fresh wall for several days.