Painting wall stripes on walls ideas, made easy. Did you know that painting on a mobile wall is different from a traditional house wall? Most people may think that a wall is just a wall, but when it comes to manufactured homes, the walls are indeed different. And trust me, this is something you don’t want to learn the hard way!
Even though the textures may be different, you can still paint the walls on your mobile home and you are only as limited as your imagination! Create patterns and shapes all through painting. Today, we are going to specifically look at painting wall stripes on a mobile home wall. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about painting those mobile home walls and doing it DIY style.
Manufactured Homes vs. Traditional Homes
Why is painting inside a mobile home different than a traditional home? The answer is in the materials. Traditional homes have walls made out of standard drywall. This is true for both single-family residences and apartment buildings. Office buildings also typically use dry wall.
But mobile homes (also known as ‘manufactured homes’) are made with different materials. Most often, they are made with VOG (vinyl-on-gypsum) wall panels, which are much thinner and less sturdy than drywall. The finish on these VOG walls makes using traditional house paint a little tricky. Keep reading to see how we work around that!
Many manufactured homes have batten strips that you may have to deal with as well. If you do not like these strips you can remove them to make the mobile home look more traditional.
Choose Your Direction
Since this particular post is about painting wall stripes, it’s time to pick your style! When painting a striped pattern, you can choose between horizontal, vertical, or even diagonal stripes. Before you pick your exact colors, choose which direction you want those stripes to go. This is not something you want to wing at the last minute.
Prep Before Your Paint
Sometimes planning is the longest part of the painting experience. This is even more true when it comes to painting wall stripes. The very first thing you need to do is make sure that your paint is able to bond with the shiny vinyl veneer on your walls. To do this, you want to take either dish soap or a mild detergent. Mix with a damp cloth and begin to wipe down the walls you want to paint.
This is the most critical step to painting in your mobile home. You want to wipe down all the walls first with your soap and washcloth. Once that first coat is down, you need to do it all over again, but this time with water only. Finally, take a dry cloth and hand wipe your walls dry.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it is essential. If your paint cannot bond with the walls, then all your efforts will be a giant waste of time. Utilize patience and go over every inch of your walls.
If you live in a mobile home that was previously owned the previous residents may have smoked in the home. This will leave a film on the walls. This can also ruin your painting efforts, so be sure to clean the walls good first.
Once your walls are ready, it is time to use your painter’s tape to create your stripes!
Painting Wall Strips the Right Way
Stripes are all about symmetry. Make sure to measure your walls so you can get properly sized and spaced stripes. Use a pencil to make your markings so you will know where to paint. Next, you will apply the painter’s tape along your markings. You may want to do a final measuring once the stripes are taped, just to make sure you have spaced them correctly. Lastly, burnish the tape with something like a credit card to make sure the wrong paint color does not seep in!
Time to Paint
Now, the fun part is finally here. Before you get to the fun colors, you should first paint your walls with primer. But if you want to skip this step, an easy way to do it is to find a paint brand that already has the primer built into it. You will pay a little more for it than regular paint, but it will save you a whole lot of time.
Now, it is time to focus on painting wall stripes. Pay attention to your taped lines and alternate colors according to your design preference. Once finished, let set.
The Finished Product
Are you ready to see your stripes? After your paint is fully dry, it is time to remove the tape. Do this slowly and carefully. How does it look? I bet all that hard work was worth it! And the best part? If you do not like how it looks, you can always paint it again.
