37 threads · 32 questions · 5 discussions
A repaint is the cheapest way to reset a tired apartment — if it's done right. Here you'll find honest talk on what repainting really costs in the UAE, how to handle recurring wall cracks, gypsum false-ceiling and partition ideas, and the surface prep that separates a two-year finish from a five-year one. Bring your quotes and let the community sanity-check them.
We're doing up our townhouse and I want to wall-mount a 65-inch TV in the living room and a large heavy mirror in the hallway. Both walls are the hollow gypsum partition type — yo…
We've just had some walls re-plastered and a ceiling gypsum-skimmed, and we're keen to paint and move on. But I've heard you can't just paint straight onto new plaster or it peels…
The paint on our bathroom ceiling and the wall above the shower keeps bubbling and then peeling off in sheets. We've repainted it twice and it comes back within months. It's a win…
A leak from the bathroom/AC above came through and now a patch of our gypsum false ceiling is brown-stained and sagging slightly. A painter offered to just stain-block and repaint…
We're planning to repaint our Emirates Hills villa, inside and out, and I want a finish that actually lasts rather than looking tired in a year. On a large villa here, what actual…
We're deciding whether to repaint our villa fully or just touch up the tired areas, and the advice we're getting is all over the place. How do you actually decide between a full r…
Our Nad Al Sheba villa is on a fairly open, dusty plot and the outside takes a beating: the exterior paint seems to fade quickly in the sun, and dust marks and streaks show up on…
We are in a Palm Jumeirah villa and I have noticed the walls that face the sea blister, chalk and fade far faster than the sheltered sides of the house, which still look okay, so…
Our Dubai Hills villa is only a few years old so it still looks fairly new, but the walls are starting to scuff and mark, especially the hallways and around the kids' rooms, and s…
We're in a Jumeirah Islands villa right on the water, and the waterside setting seems brutal on the outside of the house, the exterior paint blisters and fades faster than I'd exp…
Our Al Barari villa is beautiful but the greenery and constant irrigation mean everything outside stays damp, and it shows, the exterior paint doesn't seem to last and the outdoor…
Getting a villa exterior repainted and the quotes are all over the place, which makes me suspect some are pricing a proper job and others a quick recoat. I'd rather understand wha…
Our Damac Hills villa's exterior paint already looks tired, fading and going chalky, and it's not that old. The sun out here is relentless with no shade. Is there a grade of exter…
We're boarding out a bathroom and kitchen and someone mentioned moisture-resistant (green) gypsum board instead of standard. - What's the difference, where should moisture-resista…
We keep getting white, powdery, crystalline patches on some painted masonry walls, and they come back after we wipe or repaint them. - What is this white bloom (is it efflorescenc…
Painting quotes offer 'premium' or 'budget' paint at quite different prices and I want to know what I'm actually paying for. - Beyond the brand name, what genuinely differs betwee…
I want some curved gypsum details and a bulkhead to hide ducting and house lighting. - How are curved gypsum shapes and bulkheads actually formed — can plasterboard really bend in…
We can hear footsteps and noise from the apartment above. - Can a gypsum/false ceiling actually soundproof against that, and what makes a ceiling block sound vs just look neat? -…
Our villa's exterior paint looks chalky and faded on the sun-facing walls after only a few years, while the shaded sides still look fine. - How often do exterior walls actually ne…
I want a feature wall and I'm torn between wallpaper and paint. My worry is Dubai's humidity and AC — I've heard wallpaper can peel at the edges or grow mould behind it here. - Is…
It varies widely with size, number of coats, paint grade and prep. The biggest price driver is prep (crack filling, priming) — cheap quotes usually skip it. Normalise quotes by asking each for coats, paint brand, and whether prep is included.
Recurring hairline cracks usually mean the underlying cause — settlement, joint movement or thermal expansion — wasn't addressed. Filling and painting over won't last; you need flexible filler, jointing tape on gypsum joints, and to fix any movement source.
Two coats over proper prep is the standard for a durable, even finish; a single coat almost always looks patchy within months, especially over a colour change. New plaster or big repairs also need a primer coat first.
Gypsum false (suspended) ceilings hide wiring and ducting, allow recessed lighting, improve acoustics, and let you create coves and levels. They're common in UAE fit-outs — just include access panels for anything above that needs servicing.
Interior walls with proper prep and quality emulsion typically look good for 3–5 years; sun-exposed and high-traffic areas wear faster. The finish's lifespan is decided mostly by surface prep, not the paint brand alone.
You can paint over sound old paint after cleaning, light sanding and spot-priming repairs. But glossy, flaking or damp-affected surfaces need proper prep first, or the new paint won't bond and will peel.