Painting a Maltese flat: humidity, products and the best time to do it

Understand your walls first

Before choosing any paint, look closely at what you're painting over. Maltese homes typically have one of these:

• Plastered blockwork in most modern apartments — usually straightforward, but look out for cracks where walls meet ceilings.
• Soft limestone in older townhouses and houses of character, sometimes exposed, sometimes plastered. It absorbs moisture and needs to breathe.
• Walls with a history of damp — tide marks low down, bubbling paint, crumbling plaster or salt crystals (a white, fluffy bloom) on the surface.

Preparation: where a good paint job is won

1. Move furniture to the middle of the room and cover it and the floor.
2. Wash walls to remove grease and dust — kitchens especially. Treat any mould with a mould remover and let it dry.
3. Scrape off loose and flaking paint, and brush off salt deposits.
4. Fill cracks and holes, let the filler dry, then sand smooth.
5. Mask skirting boards, frames, sockets and switches.
6. Prime bare plaster, filled patches and stained areas. A stain-blocking primer stops old water marks showing through.

Preparation usually takes as long as painting. When comparing offers, check that it's included — a low price that skips preparation rarely lasts.

Choosing the right paint for Maltese conditions

• Breathable (vapour-permeable) paints for limestone and older walls. They let moisture escape instead of trapping it behind a plastic-like film. Mineral and lime-based paints are traditional choices for old stone.
• Anti-mould or bathroom-and-kitchen paints for wet rooms and walls prone to condensation. They resist mould growth on the surface — but they don't fix the cause of damp.
• Washable matt or eggshell for hallways and children's rooms, where walls get marked.
• Exterior paints made for coastal conditions for balconies, yards and façades exposed to sun, salt and wind. Check with your building administrator and the relevant authority before changing the colour of a façade or common area, especially in older or protected areas.

Ask the paint supplier for the right system for your wall, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for drying times and the number of coats. If you're hiring a Hero, it's fine to ask which products they plan to use and why.

The best time of year to paint in Malta

Paint dries and cures best when it's mild and not too humid. For most interiors in Malta, that means spring (roughly April to early June) and autumn (late September to November):

• In midsummer, heat makes paint dry too quickly, which can leave lap marks — and painting in a hot, closed flat is unpleasant.
• In midwinter, high humidity and cool walls slow drying a lot, and damp problems are at their worst.
• Exterior work is best on dry, still days. Avoid windy sirocco days, which carry dust and sand onto wet paint.
• Plan to ventilate well while painting and for a day or two afterwards. A dehumidifier helps in humid weather.

What painting a flat costs on HomeHero

Painting prices depend on the area, ceiling height, how much preparation the walls need, the number of colours and whether the painter supplies the paint. High ceilings in older townhouses and stairwells add time and need extra equipment.

For accurate offers, give room sizes or photos, ceiling heights, the current condition, the colours you want and whether you'll buy the paint. Larger refurbishments are quoted per job.

Paint it yourself or hire a Hero?

A single bedroom in good condition is a manageable weekend project. Hire a Hero when walls need real preparation, ceilings are high, there's damp to deal with, you need a sharp finish in a living area or a short-let, or you simply want it done in a day. Either way, the order is the same: fix the cause of any damp, prepare thoroughly, prime, then paint.