03 Sheens and how they hide flaws
Flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss: what goes where.
Interior painting · Ottawa
Walls that look right in every light.
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors painted with real prep, two full coats of premium paint and crisp cut lines, with furniture moved, floors protected and the house tidied every day.
Interior painting at a glance
- Typical cost$3–5per sq ft of floor area, walls, ceilings and trim
- One room1–2 daysincluding prep and two coats
- Whole home4–8 daystypical three-bedroom interior
- Our warranty3 yearswritten workmanship warranty
Why it matters
Paint is the easy part. Prep is the job.
Anyone can roll a wall. What decides whether it still looks good in five years is everything that happens before the colour goes on: filling nail holes and dents, sanding patches flat, spot-priming repairs so they don’t flash through, washing greasy kitchen walls, caulking gaps at the trim, and protecting floors and furniture. Skip it and the new paint shows every flaw, or starts peeling within the year.
Ottawa homes add their own challenges. Dry winter air opens hairline cracks at corners and trim joints, older homes have plaster that needs a different repair from drywall, and many basements and bathrooms fight humidity. We look at the walls first, then quote the prep and the paint as separate lines so you can see exactly what you’re paying for.
- Prep you can see on the quote. Patching, sanding, spot priming and caulking listed line by line.
- Two full coats. Of a premium paint line, not one thick coat of contractor-grade paint.
- Clean lines. Ceilings and trim cut in by hand, not just taped and hoped for.
- A protected house. Floors covered, furniture moved and covered, and the work area tidied every day.
What’s included
Every interior job includes
One bedroom or the whole house, the same steps go into every room we paint.
-
Colour & scope walkthrough
We walk each room with you, confirm what’s being painted (walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets) and help you settle colours and sheens.
-
Protection & prep
Floors and furniture covered, switch plates off, holes and dents filled, patches sanded and spot-primed, gaps caulked.
-
Two coats, cut by hand
Premium paint in two full coats, crisp edges at ceilings and trim, and the right sheen for each surface.
-
Cleanup & warranty
Furniture back in place, a walkthrough with touch-ups, labelled leftover paint and a written workmanship warranty.
Options & finishes
Pick the colour. We’ll match the finish to the surface.
Sheen is about more than shine. Flatter finishes hide imperfect walls; glossier ones stand up to scrubbing but spotlight every dent. We match the sheen to each surface and how the room is used, so a hallway survives backpacks and a bedroom ceiling doesn’t show every roller lap.
If you’re unsure about a colour, we can bring large painted samples or paint test patches on two walls so you can see them in morning and evening light before committing to a whole room.
How to choose a sheen- Accent & feature walls
Deep colours with a tinted primer and careful cut lines. - Ceilings
Flat ceiling paint, rolled in one direction to hide laps. - Trim, doors & baseboards
Durable enamel for the surfaces that take knocks. - Stairwells & high foyers
Planks, ladders and staging for two-storey walls. - Closets & built-ins
Shelving and interiors painted to match. - Colour consultation
Samples and test patches in your own light.
Sheens compared
Which sheen goes where.
The same colour can look completely different in another sheen. Here’s how the common finishes behave on Ottawa walls.
| Sheen | Hides flaws | Washability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat / matte | Best | Low; scuffs show | Ceilings, quiet rooms, older uneven walls |
| Eggshell / low-lustre | Good | Wipeable | Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms |
| Satin / pearl | Moderate | Scrubbable | Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, kids’ rooms |
| Semi-gloss | Low | Very durable | Trim, doors, baseboards and cabinets |
| Gloss | Lowest | Most durable | Doors and accents on very smooth surfaces |
- Paint line matters more than brandPremium lines from the major makers carry more pigment and better resins, so they cover in two coats and wash without going shiny. Contractor-grade paint saves a little up front and usually costs a coat.
- Primer isn’t optional everywhereNew drywall, patches, stains and big colour changes need primer. “Paint and primer in one” helps on sound, previously painted walls, not on bare or stained surfaces.
- Dark-to-light changesA grey-tinted primer under a light colour hides a dark wall in fewer coats than plain white primer.
- Stain blockingWater stains and smoke bleed through water-based paint. They need a shellac or oil-based stain-blocking primer first.
- Low- and zero-VOC paintMost premium interior lines now have low- or zero-VOC bases, which matters in winter when windows stay shut. Colourants can add some VOCs back.
- Touch-up paintWe label leftover paint by room and sheen. Stored indoors and away from frost, it keeps for touch-ups for years.
Built for Ottawa
Painting inside an Ottawa house.
Ottawa homes swing from bone-dry winter air to humid summers, and the framing and drywall move with them. That’s why hairline cracks open at inside corners, along stair stringers and where trim meets the wall. Painting over them just paints the crack; we fill corners and trim gaps with a flexible paintable caulk and repair recurring cracks properly before the topcoat.
Winter is a good time to paint inside, but ventilation matters while the windows stay closed. We use low-odour, low-VOC paints, keep air moving with fans, and plan drying time so rooms can be used again the same evening wherever possible.
Older homes, plaster and lead paint
Many Ottawa homes built before the 1960s have plaster walls and may have lead paint in older layers, especially on trim, windows and doors. Plaster is repaired with plaster-compatible products, not just drywall compound, and suspect old paint is tested before anything is sanded.
Interior painting doesn’t need a building permit. If walls are being opened or moved as part of a bigger project, our sister company Ryan’s Renos handles the structural side and the permits.
Primers and stain blocking- Hairline cracks. Filled and caulked with flexible products so they don’t reopen next winter.
- Plaster walls. Repaired with plaster-compatible materials, then primed.
- Lead paint. Pre-1960s trim and windows tested before sanding, with lead-safe practices if it’s found.
- Ventilation. Low-VOC paint and fans, so you can sleep in the house.
- Humidity. Mildew-resistant finishes in bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements.
How we work
An interior repaint, step by step.
Most rooms take a day or two, and a typical three-bedroom home takes about 4 to 8 working days. Here’s the order we work in.
-
Walkthrough
Scope, colours and sheens
We walk the rooms, note repairs, confirm what’s being painted and settle colours, with samples if you need them.
-
Protect
Floors, furniture and fixtures
Furniture moved to the centre and covered, floors masked, switch plates and hardware removed and bagged.
-
Prep
Fill, sand, prime, caulk
Holes and dents filled, patches sanded flat and spot-primed, trim gaps caulked, greasy or stained walls washed or sealed.
-
Ceilings
Top down
Ceilings first, so any spatter lands on surfaces that haven’t been painted yet.
-
Walls
Cut in, then roll
Edges cut in by hand, walls rolled while the edge is still wet, then a full second coat.
-
Trim
Trim, doors and walkthrough
Trim and doors last in a durable enamel, then a walkthrough with you, touch-ups, cleanup and labelled leftover paint.
What affects the price
What makes interior painting cost more or less.
Interior painting is mostly labour, and most of that labour is prep. Two rooms the same size can be priced far apart because one has smooth walls in good shape and the other has years of dents, nail holes and a colour change from navy to white. Our Ottawa painting cost guide and estimator shows how it adds up.
Ceilings, trim and doors take more time than walls because they’re cut in by brush. Height matters too: a two-storey foyer or stairwell needs staging and takes much longer than a bedroom with eight-foot ceilings.
Planning more than paint? See drywall repair before painting and kitchen cabinet painting. We paint homes across the region, including interior painting in Kanata, painters in Barrhaven and older-home painting in Ottawa.
Painting cost guide and estimator- Prep & repairsNail holes, dents, cracks and patches that need filling, sanding and priming.
- Surfaces includedWalls only, or ceilings, trim, doors and closets too.
- Colour changeDark to light, or very saturated colours, can need primer and a third coat.
- Height & accessStairwells, vaulted ceilings and two-storey foyers need staging.
- Furniture & occupancyEmpty rooms are faster than full ones.
- Paint linePremium lines cost more per can and usually save a coat.
Living through it
Getting through an interior repaint.
Painting is one of the least disruptive projects in a house, especially with a little planning.
-
Before we arrive
Take down art and clear small items and breakables. We move and cover the furniture.
-
During the work
We work room by room so the rest of the house stays usable. Bedrooms are usually back in use the same night.
-
Pets & kids
Modern paint is low-odour, but wet edges and open cans aren’t kid- or pet-proof. We’ll tell you which rooms to keep closed.
-
Afterwards
Paint is dry in hours but takes a few weeks to cure. Go easy on scrubbing, and don’t tape anything to new walls for a while.
Painting guide
Learn more before you book
11 The professional painting sequence
Top down: ceilings, walls, then trim.
12 Drying vs. curing
Dry in hours, fully hard in weeks.
FAQ
Interior painting questions
Still deciding? Call or text 613-806-4000 and we'll talk it through.
How much does it cost to paint a room in Ottawa?
A typical bedroom costs about $450–800 for walls only and about $700–1,200 with the ceiling and trim, depending on size, repairs and colour change. A whole three-bedroom interior usually runs $4,500–8,500.
How long does interior painting take?
Most rooms take one to two days including prep and two coats. A full three-bedroom interior typically takes four to eight working days.
Do I need to move my furniture?
No. We move furniture to the centre of the room, cover it and put it back when we’re done. Please take down art and clear small items and breakables.
How many coats do you apply?
Two full coats of a premium line on walls and ceilings as standard, with primer wherever there are patches, stains, bare surfaces or a big colour change.
Can you paint in the winter?
Yes. Winter is a good time for interior painting. We use low-VOC, low-odour paints and fans to keep air moving while the windows stay closed.
Do you paint ceilings and trim?
Yes. Ceilings, baseboards, casings, doors, closets and stair railings can all be included. They’re listed separately on the quote so you can choose.
How long should I wait before washing new paint?
Paint is dry to the touch in an hour or two but takes roughly two to four weeks to cure fully. Wait until then before scrubbing, and use a soft sponge with mild soap rather than an abrasive pad.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
It’s usually better to remove it. Paint can loosen old wallpaper paste, and the seams show through. We remove the wallpaper, wash off the adhesive, repair the wall, skim-coat where needed and prime before painting.
Other services
Often paired with
Drywall repair & prep
Holes, dents, cracks and stains fixed before the paint goes on.
Kitchen cabinet painting
Degreased, bonding-primed and spray-finished cabinets.
Exterior painting
Siding, trim and doors prepared for freeze-thaw winters.
Last updated:
Free quote
Call or text for a free quote.
613-806-4000Talk to the painters who’ll actually do the work. Prefer to write? Send the form and we’ll get back to you within one business day.
- Call 613-806-4000
- Text 613-806-4000
- hello@ryanscontracting.com
- Mon–Fri, 7:30 am – 5 pm
- Ottawa
- Stittsville
- Kanata
- Carp
- Richmond
- Riverside South
- Manotick
- Greely
- Barrhaven
- Orleans
- Findlay Creek
Request a free quote
Tell us a little about the job. Which rooms or surfaces, rough sizes, photos you can text us later and your timing all help.