House Painting Guide: Putty, Primer, Coats and Monsoon Timing
Paint 900 sq ft right: putty 2mm, primer seal, 2 coats, humidity limits and 2026 rates that stop blisters and patches.
Paint over damp + no primer blistered 400 sq ft month 1 monsoon — scrape + redo MAD 6,800. In Hay Riad 900 sq ft dry + putty 2mm + primer 6h + 2 coats 4h we hold 3 years touch-only. Color picks in paint visualizer tools.
Substrate: putty decides 70% finish
Plaster undulation 3mm shows even premium — putty 2mm 2 coats + 320-grit + torch side-light (ripples show) + spot third. Skim + sand + wipe + 24h dry. Moisture meter <12% + poly 48h test (inside droplets = seepage fix first, outside = condensation exhaust). Paint over seepage peels 6 weeks double cost.
Bath-adjacent + kitchen: exterior acrylic (steam), living/bed interior washable. Ceiling flat white (eggshell drips show), walls matte/eggshell. Sample 2x2 ft 2 walls 48h 10am/3pm/8pm — west shifts 1 tone.
Primer + coats: thin wins (4h gaps)
Primer 1 coat sealed 6h (chalky wall sucks topcoat patchy without). Top 2 coats thin 4h apart (1 thick drips + peels). Roller 9-inch 12mm nap walls + brush edges + 4-inch cutters. Humidity <85% + temp 10-35C + cross air (monsoon delay 3 days or blister). Batch same lot + 1L spare + sleeve same nap (sheen shifts otherwise).
Coverage: putty 100 sq ft/kg, primer 120 sq ft/L, top 140 sq ft/L 2 coats. 900 sq ft needs putty 60 kg + primer 20L + top 40L approx + 10% waste.
Monsoon timing: when to paint / wait
Best Oct-Feb dry + 25C + 50% humidity (cure 4h). Avoid Jun-Sep 85%+ (blister + 7-day cure + flat spots). West wall + terrace: seal crack + APP MAD 45/sq ft + 2-week dry before paint. Window sills silicone + drip MAD 60/ft or track leak mimics seepage.
If must monsoon: dehumid + fan + thin coats + 24h gaps + moisture recheck (adds 3 days + MAD 800 power, still risk 20%). Delay accent + touch; do putty/primer dry days only.
Cost table 900 sq ft (2026)
- Putty 2 coats + sand: MAD 8,500-11,000
- Primer 20L + labor: MAD 3,200-4,000
- Top washable 40L + 2 coats: MAD 9,500-13,000
- Accent 8-ft clay: MAD 600
- Tape + covers + touch kit: MAD 500
- Total repaint: MAD 21,700-28,500 ($2,280-3,000)
New plaster +3 days curing 28 days? Fresh plaster 28-day cure before putty or salts blister — wait or soda wash + seal (50% risk).
Protection + touch that keeps 3 years
Tape spots/lenses/hardware + floor covers + hardware bags (polish yellows spots, paint spots dim 20%). Remove tape 1h after coat (48h tears paint). Touch 1L same lot + mini roller (brush marks show). Wash pH-neutral (acid eats), sun + exhaust monsoon.
Keep lot + code photo + 1L + sleeve — future patch invisible only same.
Supervision 15 min/day
Day 1 meter + poly + putty torch. Day 2 primer seal 6h finger-dry + uniform (patchy = thin). Day 3-4 coats 4h + wet edge + no holidays torch. Day 5 tape 1h + lux + touch + clean + hold 10% 48h. Daily photos dated — 80% disputes same-day free.
FAQ
One coat premium to save? No — 1 thick peels + patches + 60% life. 2 thin 4h = color + wash + 5-yr. Save with local washable (not 1-coat import).
Why blisters month 1? Damp >12% + no primer + thick + monsoon + seepage source. Scrape + source + dry 2 weeks + primer + 2 thin — only cure, not touch-up.
Hay Riad 900 sq ft 3-year paint: putty + primer held
Substrate putty 2mm 2x + 320 + torch + 24h + meter <12% + poly 48h (seepage fixed + 2-week dry first). Primer 6h + top 2 thin 4h + <85% Oct-Feb (monsoon +3 or blister). Coverage putty 60 kg + primer 20L + top 40L + 10% + 1L spare same lot + sleeve same nap. Bath/kitchen exterior acrylic, living washable matte, ceiling flat always. Samples 2x2 2 walls 48h 10/3/8 decided warm white (noon white turned cream west).
Cost MAD 24k mid 5 days + 1 touch MAD 100 year 2 (vs blistered neighbor MAD 6,800 redo month 1 no primer + damp + thick monsoon). Tape lenses/hardware + covers + 1h removal + pH wash + exhaust holds 3 years.
Related guides
