A Simple & Professional Guide to Painting Plasterboard

You can paint straight onto/over plasterboard in most cases, you simply need to cover the joints and any holes created by your fixings first. Being able to paint directly onto the surface of the new wall is convenient and saves time and money. You can also plaster over the painted plasterboard at a later stage.

To cover the joints and holes  that you created when fixing your new walls or ceilings you can use the following simple process:

Use a jointing knife

With a jointing knife in hand, you can start to get your plasterboard ready to paint. Run the knife over every joint and pay special attention to areas where the plasterboards are not level or the fixings are sticking out. Be sure to use the correct size screws to secure the boards and countersink the screws to indent the plasterboard. try not to tear the paper, as this can cause issues with the filler ‘blowing’.

Mix joint filler

Using a joint filler, make a mix according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use the knife to scoop out some filler, and run it along each joint in a smooth motion. Use the knife to smooth out every joint and fix it. Use a shallow angle and scrape off any excess filler and then sand it smooth when dry, using a fine-grain sandpaper.

After the joint filler is dry you are ready to paint your plasterboard. Our supply of standard plasterboard is very simple to paint and of high quality, so you should not have any issues painting after covering your joints and fixings. 

Using dedicated tools for plastering means you can do a more precise job, so the new plasterboard will be ready to paint more quickly. You can browse our excellent range of plasterboard tools, which will help complete the job reliably. 

Guide to Painting Plasterboard

Now that your plasterboard is ready, you can apply the paint or wallpaper without much trouble. However, the following are a few tips on painting plasterboard in various situations - without skimming it beforehand:

• Painting directly on new plasterboard: In a standard room, you can wash out the plasterboard with a damp cloth, this will remove any dust, fluff and other particles to give you as smooth a look as plastered walls. A good top coat of paint with a sturdy roller and some finishing may be all you need.
• Painting plasterboard in a bathroom: When painting plasterboard in the bathroom general tips include taping and finishing any areas near tiles by hand, to keep the appearance of the tile straight and even - as well as to camouflage the tile adhesive. You can use waterproof paint here, or you can use a moisture-resistant plasterboard.

By using a watered-down emulsion you can apply a mist coat using your emulsion paint. A mist coat is very useful when you are painting plasterboard as it is often very dry and absorbent - so doing this means you can paint more easily, and when finished your painted walls will look much more solid and smooth.

Painting Plasterboard is Perfectly Fine

Painting straight onto/over plasterboard is simple and easy once you have covered the joints and any fixings with joint filler. The smooth surface should provide as good of a look as a plastered wall, though painting plasterboard may require an additional mist coat due to its absorbent nature.

We supply a wide range of plasterboards, paints and other building materials to clients across the UK, with dedicated account managers to ensure you always get your supplies as fast as possible - even when things are hard to get. It all starts when you open a trade account.

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