PAINTING & WALLPAPERING
A good paint job is decided before the tin is opened
A wall never ends up smoother than the surface underneath. That is why we spend most of our time on what you do not see when the job is finished: covering floors and furnishings, repairing cracks and holes, filling, sanding and priming. Only when the surface is even, clean and absorbs just the right amount does the paint or wallpaper go up. That is where the difference between a rushed job and a neat result is made.
Relut paints and wallpapers indoors in detached houses, terraced houses, cooperative flats and holiday homes throughout Stockholm County. We take care to get straight lines against ceilings, mouldings and architraves, and to keep paint off floors, sockets and fittings. You get a free home visit where we look at the surfaces, and then a written quote showing what is included.
What we can help you with
We take on both single rooms and whole homes, from the first repair to the final coat.
Painting walls
Primer and two coats with a roller, brushwork in corners and along mouldings. We cut in straight against ceilings and architraves so the lines are sharp, with no paint on the wrong side.
Painting ceilings
Ceilings are painted before the walls, wet on wet and in the direction of the light from the window, so that roller marks and shiny patches do not show when daylight falls in.
Filling and sanding
We repair holes, cracks and joints, skim uneven walls when needed and sand between coats. The surface is checked in raking light before it is dusted off and primed.
Wallpapering walls
Hanging non-woven wallpaper, paper wallpaper and patterned wallpapers. We plumb the first length, match the pattern at the seams and strip old wallpaper when the surface requires it.
Woodwork and mouldings
Doors, architraves, skirting boards and window reveals are washed, lightly sanded and painted with woodwork paint. Gaps against the wall are sealed with paintable acrylic caulk so the shadow line disappears.
Protection and masking
Floors are covered with protective board or fleece, furniture is wrapped in plastic, and sockets, fittings and mouldings are masked. The tape is pulled before the paint has cured, so the edge comes out clean.
GOOD TO KNOW
What decides how well the paintwork lasts
A few things are worth knowing before you settle on colour, sheen and wallpaper.
Preparation decides the final result
Paint does not hide unevenness, it highlights it. Glossy surfaces are washed with sugar soap and lightly sanded so that new paint will adhere. Absorbent surfaces such as new filler or plasterboard are primed, otherwise the wall turns out patchy. Stains from damp, soot and nicotine are sealed with a stain-blocking primer before they are painted over, otherwise they bleed through. Joints between boards get jointing tape and several coats of filler.
Sheen and colour with NCS
Ceilings are painted in full matt to hide unevenness. Walls look calmest in matt, but kitchens, hallways and children’s rooms benefit from a slightly higher sheen that can be wiped clean. Woodwork is usually painted in semi-gloss. The colour is specified with an NCS code, so the same colour can be mixed again when something needs touching up. Always paint a test patch and look at it in both daylight and evening lighting.
Painting in bathrooms and showers
Painted walls in wet rooms are not ordinary painting. Måleribranschens våtrumskontroll (MVK), the painting trade’s wet room control body, has industry rules for approved wet room systems in which the products are tested together and must not be mixed with other systems. The surface behind a shower cabin always counts as wet zone 1. Such jobs are carried out by an MVK-authorised painting company that we work with. We paint the other rooms in the home ourselves.
Wallpaper type and drying times
Non-woven wallpaper is hung by rolling the paste onto the wall and hanging the length dry. Paper wallpaper is pasted on the back and must soak for the same time for every length, otherwise the seams open up. Large patterns mean more waste because every length has to be matched. For paint, the recoating time on the tin applies. A surface that feels dry is not necessarily fully cured, so hold off on tape, pictures and hard wiping.
How it works
How a painting job works
Three steps from first contact to a quote you can make up your mind about.
Tell us what needs painting
Contact us and describe which rooms are involved, the approximate area, the ceiling height and what the walls look like today. Photos of damage, old wallpaper or discolouration help us prepare for the visit.
Free home visit
We measure the surfaces and test the substrate. Is the old paint sound, how many layers of wallpaper are there, and is skimming needed? We also look at mouldings, ceiling angles, furniture and how much has to be covered.
Written quote
The quote states which surfaces are included, the preparation, the number of coats, the paint type, sheen and colour, and who supplies the materials. The labour cost is listed separately so the ROT deduction (ROT-avdrag) can be calculated correctly.
What affects the price?
The price is driven mainly by the preparation. A wall that only needs washing and painting is quick, while loose paint, several layers of wallpaper or skimming take time. Ceiling height, the number of windows and doors, a change from a dark to a light colour and how much has to be covered also play a part. The ROT deduction (ROT-avdrag) is 30 per cent of the labour cost, up to SEK 50,000 per person per year, and does not cover materials. You get the exact price in the quote.
- Skatteverket: How the ROT deduction works (in Swedish)
- Skatteverket: Does the work qualify for the ROT deduction? (in Swedish)
Would you rather talk to us directly? Call or email us
New flooring and painted walls and ceiling
See a real flooring and painting project
New flooring and painted walls and ceiling in one project. Follow the work from preparation to the result.
Free painting & wallpapering home visit in Stockholm County
Tell us what you want done and we will get back to you. Call, email or fill in the form. The home visit and the quote cost nothing, wherever you live in Stockholm County.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Painting & wallpapering before you decide.
It depends on the area and, above all, on how much preparation the walls need. Sound, previously painted walls are quick. Loose paint, textured wallpaper, cracks and uneven joints need several coats of filler and cost more in labour. Ceiling height, the number of doors and windows, and whether ceilings and woodwork are included also matter. We give a price in a written quote after seeing the surfaces on site.
Yes, interior painting and wallpapering qualify for the ROT deduction when you own the home. The deduction is 30 per cent of the labour cost, up to SEK 50,000 per person per year, and is taken straight off the invoice. Materials and travel do not qualify. In a cooperative flat (bostadsrätt) the deduction covers work inside the flat, for example walls, ceilings, interior doors and the inside of windows. We take the amount off the invoice and claim the payment from Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency).
It is the drying times that set the pace, not the painting itself. Filler has to dry before it is sanded, the primer before the first coat, and the first coat before the second. A room that needs filling is therefore rarely finished in a day, even though each stage is quick. How many days it will take in your home is stated in the quote, since it depends on the surfaces and the number of rooms.
Not always. If the wallpaper is firmly stuck everywhere, is smooth and there are only one or two layers, it can often be filled at the seams, primed and then painted or papered over. Bubbles, loose edges, textured wallpaper, vinyl wallpaper and many layers mean it has to come off, otherwise everything may come loose when new moisture from paste or paint soaks in. We test the adhesion at the home visit.
Painted walls in bathrooms and shower rooms must be done as an approved wet room system under the industry rules of MVK (Måleribranschens våtrumskontroll). That work is done by an MVK-authorised painting company that we work with, and we coordinate it when the bathroom is part of a larger job. The quote says who carries out and is responsible for what. Hallways, kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and other dry rooms we paint ourselves.
Clear away small items, pictures, curtains and whatever is on the window sills, and take down shelves you want painted behind. We move larger furniture to the middle of the room and wrap it in plastic. Decide on colour and sheen in advance, ideally with a painted test patch. It also helps if the rooms are cleared of anything you will need during those days, because the paint needs to dry undisturbed.
No, painting and wallpapering inside the flat do not, as a general rule, require consent. Under the Housing Cooperative Act (bostadsrättslagen), the board’s consent is needed for work affecting the load-bearing structure, changes to pipes for water, drainage, heating or gas, changes to ventilation and other substantial alterations. New surface finishes do not normally fall into that category. Read the cooperative’s rules (stadgar) all the same, because the outside of the flat’s front door and windows is often the cooperative’s responsibility.
Sveriges riksdag: Bostadsrättslag (1991:614), ch. 7, s. 7 (in Swedish)
No. The home visit is free and so is the quote, throughout Stockholm County. We need to see the walls to assess the preparation, and that can rarely be done from a photo. During the visit we go through, room by room, what is to be filled, primed and painted and which colours you are considering. You do not commit to anything by booking the visit.