Interior painting in Calgary: tips for dry air and winter painting

Unlike exterior painting, interior painting in Calgary can happen any month of the year. Winter is actually a popular time for it: the outdoor season is over, the holidays are coming, and people are spending more time looking at their walls. But Calgary's very dry air, and winters where the windows stay shut for months, change how paint behaves and how a painting job should be planned.

This guide covers what to know about painting rooms in Calgary: how the climate affects the paint, how to prepare, which sheens work where, and what goes into a painting quote.

How Calgary's dry air affects paint

Calgary is dry most of the year, and indoor air gets very dry once the furnace is running. Paint dries faster in dry air. That sounds like a good thing, and for recoat times it often is. But it causes a few problems:

• Lap marks. When paint dries too quickly, the edge of one roller pass dries before the next pass overlaps it. That leaves visible stripes, especially in flat and eggshell finishes on large walls. Keeping a wet edge and working wall by wall helps.
• Brush marks on trim, where paint does not have time to level out.
• Cracking in thick coats of some products, if they are applied too heavily.

Some painters use a paint conditioner or extender to slow drying, and running a humidifier can help in very dry conditions. The paint can's label is the guide.

Painting in winter

Painting in winter is fine indoors, with a few things to keep in mind:

Temperature

Most interior paints list a minimum temperature for application and drying, often for both the air and the surface. Rooms with exterior walls, rooms over garages and basements can be colder than the thermostat suggests, especially during a cold snap. Keep the heat on and the room at a normal living temperature during and after painting.

Ventilation

Low-VOC and zero-VOC paints have made indoor painting much easier, but some ventilation still helps the paint cure and clears the smell. In winter, a bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan, a slightly cracked window for short periods, or a fan moving air within the house all help. A full day of windows open at minus 20 is not necessary.

Cure time

Paint feels dry well before it is fully cured. Furniture, shelves and art should go back gently, and scrubbing should wait. Cure times are on the label; they are often longer than people expect.

Prep is most of the job

A good paint job is mostly preparation. In a typical room:

1. Move furniture to the centre and cover it.
2. Remove switch plates, outlet covers, nails and hooks.
3. Patch holes, dents and cracks. Calgary walls often have nail pops and seasonal cracks that should be fixed first. See drywall repair in Calgary.
4. Sand patches and any glossy surfaces so the new paint bonds.
5. Clean walls in kitchens, hallways and kids' rooms, where grease and hand marks keep paint from sticking.
6. Caulk gaps between trim and walls with a flexible paintable caulk, since those gaps open up in dry winter air.
7. Prime patches, stains and any big colour changes.
8. Cut in edges, then roll.

Skipping steps 3 to 7 is where most disappointing paint jobs come from.

Protecting floors and furniture

Calgary homes often have hardwood or laminate on the main floor. Drop sheets should be canvas or non-slip, not loose plastic on a smooth floor, and furniture feet should be lifted rather than dragged.

Choosing a sheen

• Flat or matte: ceilings and low-traffic rooms. Hides wall imperfections well, but marks more easily.
• Eggshell: the most common wall finish in living areas and bedrooms. Slightly washable.
• Satin: hallways, kids' rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. More washable, shows more imperfections.
• Semi-gloss: trim, doors and cabinets. Durable and easy to wipe.

In bathrooms, a paint labelled for high-humidity rooms helps resist mildew.

Colour and light in Calgary

Calgary gets a lot of sunshine, including in winter, and low winter sun shines deep into south- and west-facing rooms. Colours can look very different between a bright February afternoon and an evening under warm LED bulbs. Paint a large sample on two walls and look at it at different times of day before committing.

Common interior painting jobs

• Single rooms and accent walls
• Whole floors, for a refresh or before selling. See the pre-listing repair list.
• Trim, doors and baseboards, which show wear first
• Ceilings, especially after a water stain is repaired
• Basements, including new or refreshed suites
• Rental units between tenants. See rental turnover repairs.
• Small business spaces, often scheduled around opening hours

Trim, doors and cabinets

Trim and doors are where wear shows first: scuffs on baseboards, marks around handles and chips on door edges. In Calgary homes, gaps between trim and walls also open in winter as the wood shrinks. A trim refresh involves filling nail holes and dents, caulking gaps with flexible paintable caulk, light sanding, and a durable semi-gloss or satin finish.

Painted doors are best done off their hinges, laid flat or hung, so the finish levels without runs. Allow drying time between coats before rehanging them, especially on the closing edge.

Painting kitchen cabinets is a bigger job than it looks. It needs thorough degreasing, sanding, a bonding primer and a hard-wearing finish, with doors and drawer fronts removed. It can transform a kitchen, but it should be quoted carefully.

What goes into a painting quote

• Size of the room and ceiling height
• Number of colours and whether ceilings and trim are included
• Amount of drywall repair needed first
• Colour change: going from dark to light usually needs extra coats
• Who supplies the paint. You can choose and supply it, or it can be picked up; that is agreed in the quote.
• Furniture: whether the room will be empty or full

Send a photo of each wall, roughly how big the room is, and the colour you have in mind. You get a price before anything is booked.

Textured ceilings

Many Calgary homes from the 1970s to early 1990s have popcorn or stipple ceilings. Painting over them is possible but tricky, since the texture can loosen when wet.

Inside now, outside in summer

If you also want exterior work done, it needs a different season. See exterior painting season in Calgary. For all services, see the services list.

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