Best Time to Paint Your Home Before Diwali | A Complete Homeowner’s Guide

Don’t repaint just because you’re bored with the colour. Repaint home because you need to. Walk around all the rooms in broad daylight and look out for these things.

• Hairline cracks in walls. These can be repaired using putty, but if the cracks recur after the repairs, consult an engineer.
• Bubbles in the paint and white salt deposits at a height of 3-4 feet from the ground. This is a sign of rising damp.
• Dark spots which recur and increase during monsoons. Seepage or pipe leakage.
• Black mould stains in bathrooms and kitchens due to condensation.
• Loose plaster which makes a hollow sound when tapped. It has separated from the wall, so patching will buy you some time.
• Faded or scuffed paint on a wall which is otherwise fine.

The last one alone can be tackled by repainting. The others need to be fixed first, and that determines the extent of repainting required in the house.

The painters charge based on wall area, which is thrice your carpet area. The painting work with material is generally charged at ₹12-45 per sq ft, depending upon the paint and finish. The repainting work labour only costs ₹8-14. Material accounts for 55-65% of the total cost. Below is the list of prices:

These figures account for a primer coat and two layers of paint. Darker tones and textured walls require more. These vary by location as well; interior walls in Delhi cost ₹12-35 per sq ft, while those in Mumbai cost ₹15-40.

The repairs are done at a separate price from the painting. This means that the partial painting price of the house depends on the degree of damage to the wall.

The cost per sq ft for both labour and materials somethink like this:

The cost of painting is also added to these costs.

Consider a 2 BHK with a carpet area of 800 sq ft. This will give us a wall area of 2,560 sq ft. The change in cost if we paint only the living room and one bedroom will be as follows.

The theory of splitting a room into two halves can simply be a theory. You can measure yourself and split those rooms in half, and you will have done the job at half the price provided that all your other rooms are able to qualify.

The absolute golden rule for achieving a totally dry, odourless and beautifully painted house during Diwali is to count back 4 to 6 weeks before Diwali day.

In most cases, this would mean that the perfect time for starting the project falls somewhere between the end of Shradh and the beginning of Shardiya Navratri. Let’s have a look at the ideal planning of a calendar:

Phase 1: 5 to 6 Weeks Before Diwali

• Do the site inspection and moisture testing of walls.
• Select the colours and textures for your walls and woodwork.
• Fix the certified painters in Delhi so that you get a dedicated team at standard rates.

Phase 2: 3 to 4 Weeks Before Diwali (Dussehra/Mid-October)

• Carry out masonry work and crack filling using acrylic wall putty and waterproofing.
• Sanding of walls mechanically and priming.
• Wood polishing and door restoration along with texture painting of feature walls.

Phase 3: 1 to 2 weeks before Diwali (Karwa Chauth to Dhanteras)

• Finish off with topcoats of washable luxury emulsions such as Silk Sheen Emulsion.
• Carry out detailed touch-ups, trim detailing, and complete site cleanup.
• Your home is guaranteed to be dust-free, 100% dry, and ready to decorate with fairy lights and rangolis!

The most common mistake is painting over dampness. It is painted and looks good but starts to bubble within a few weeks. The moisture was not removed, it was just covered by paint, and the salts that were released by the plaster worsened the situation.

The cost side is also negative. In case of a repair of about 100 sq ft, painting will cost ₹1,800-3,000, while doing it through waterproofing and primers will cost ₹7,000-11,000.

Firstly, the cause needs to be identified – cracks in outer walls, leaking pipes, joints in the terrace, neighbour’s bathrooms, etc. The neighbour's bathroom or leaking pipes need to be sorted out first.

Afterwards, scraping is continued until good plaster, salt removal, filling of cracks, waterproofing, priming and finally painting are done. Time’s running out as Diwali is approaching. Cement work takes 7-10 days to cure, waterproofing takes 24-48 hours at least, putty takes 4-6 hours and primer takes 3 hours at least.

Some cracks and marks on sound walls? Then make the necessary repairs and redecorate the walls in their entirety. Are there any issues with the living room or your kid’s bedroom? Then redecorate just those rooms.

Are the walls in need of repainting and repair in most of the rooms? Then do all of them at once. In any case, deal with any dampness, hollows and recurring cracks first.

The first three considerations are repairs, paint, and buffer. The 2BHK regular range of ₹60,000 - 95,000 will be augmented by 10% to 15% in case of additional coats, any unexpected dampness on the wall or colour change.

It will come up to a total of ₹66,000 – ₹1.09 lakh, excluding the repair cost. You need to have a quote prepared that will break down the coats used, brands, preparation work, furniture cover and cleaning. Try booking early because it is festival time.

A flat normally takes nine days to paint, given that there are two painters and two assistants for every 500 sq. ft. This shows that when there are fewer numbers, then more days are required. It’s always advisable to plan. Here is your plan:

House painting for Diwali is ideal if the walls do the talking. Just some cracks, and the process involves repair and repainting of those particular walls. Moisture is the first step, and this requires time to dry. Allocate an extra 10-15% in your budget for Diwali home interior renovation and start the work by the last week of October.