Painting and waterproofing in Dénia, Jávea and surroundings

How we approach a painting job

Diagnosing the wall. Before filling we look at what is underneath: distemper, emulsion, textured coating, damp, loose plaster. Each base needs its own treatment; putting filler over unstabilised distemper is throwing the work away.

Protection. Floors covered with card or plastic, furniture sheeted, sockets and frames masked. Move whatever you want to keep safe and we do the rest.

Filling with a roller and skimming with a spatula. This is our usual way of working and we used it, for example, in the complete renovation with soundproofing in Dénia. The roller spreads an even coat of filler across the whole wall and the spatula smooths it: you get a flatter surface than with a trowel, with less sanding and less dust. Two coats on new plasterboard walls, three or more over textured coatings.

Sanding and primer. Fine sanding, dust removed and a coat of stabilising primer to even out absorption, especially on plasterboard and fresh filler. Without primer, the paint has a different sheen where there is filler and where there is not.

Painting. Two finish coats, applied in cross directions. Ceilings first, then walls, enamels last. In commercial premises and empty homes, with airless equipment: in the 200 m² unit in Dénia we sprayed the plasterboard ceilings and walls after plastering, with a seamless finish that would have taken twice as long with a roller.

Final check. Under raking light and with you present. We touch up whatever is needed before packing up.

How we waterproof a terrace or flat roof

1. Find where the water is getting in. We look at the ceiling below, the joints in the flooring, the junctions with parapets, drains and service outlets. The leak is almost never where the stain shows.
2. Prepare the base. Cleaning, crack repair and, if water pools, forming falls with mortar towards the drains. In the premises in Dénia we laid screeds with falls before the flooring went down.
3. Prime. So the membrane bonds to the substrate, especially on old porcelain tiles or concrete.
4. Liquid membrane in two or three coats, with reinforcing mesh at joints, corners and junctions. We turn it up 15–20 cm on parapets and seal around the drains.
5. Finish. Exposed walkable membrane, or new flooring over the waterproofing if the terrace is going to get heavy use.

Materials and solutions we recommend

• Powder filler for large areas, with controlled drying; ready-mixed in tubs only for repairs.
• Washable matt emulsion in high-traffic areas: it hides imperfections and wipes clean.
• Anti-damp or anti-mould paint in windowless bathrooms, kitchens and walls on the north-facing facade.
• Water-based enamel on doors and radiators: no smell, yellows less.
• Polyurethane membrane on very exposed flat roofs; acrylic as the more affordable option on covered or lightly used terraces.
• Vinyl wallpaper in bedrooms and behind bedheads; in bathrooms, only if the paper is specifically made for it and the wall is properly sealed.

Common mistakes we avoid

• Painting over damp without treating the cause. The stain comes back within weeks and takes the new paint with it.
• Skipping the primer over filler or plasterboard: patches with a different sheen appear.
• Membrane without mesh at joints and corners. The movement of the terrace breaks it exactly there.
• Waterproofing without a fall. Standing water always finds a way through in the end.
• One thick coat instead of two thin ones: it sags, does not cover and takes ages to dry.

Indicative timescales

• Painting an apartment with walls in good condition: 3 to 5 days.
• Skimming textured walls and painting a whole flat: 1 to 2 weeks.
• Waterproofing a 20–40 m² terrace with liquid membrane: 3 to 5 days, depending on drying.
• Painting a 150–200 m² commercial unit with airless equipment: 3 to 6 days after the plasterboard.

Painting and waterproofing in the area

In Dénia, Jávea and Gandía, damp is a constant: condensation in apartments shut up all winter, salt air on terraces facing the sea and leaks through the flat roofs of 1970s–90s buildings whose falls have given up. The first thing we always ask is to see the property and the building, not just the stain.

In holiday homes opened up for the summer, the typical job is skimming textured walls, a full repaint and renewing the terrace sealing before the autumn rains. If you cannot come over, we arrange access, send you photos of each stage and leave the house ready for when you arrive.