Even with the most careful planning, problems can sometimes occur. Below you will find descriptions of some of the most common painting problems you are likely to encounter. Blisters Mostly found when painting in wet conditions outside the house. Inside, they can be caused by painting over old, soft paint. If there are a lot … Read more
If you are planning a painting job, you will want to work out how much paint to buy. You should also try to calculate roughly how long the job will take. This will allow you to plan both your total time and when you will finish each coat, so that you can work out the … Read more
Always prepare ceilings first, then the walls and finally any woodwork or metal (window frames). See section dealing with metalwork. Preparing ceilings and walls In new houses or extensions, plastered walls and ceilings can be painted within a few weeks. Old ceilings should be washed with sugar soap or household detergent, then rinsed with plenty … Read more
Interior decorating is not difficult and most people will soon become a dab hand with a brush or get the hang of wallpapering quite quickly and be able to produce first-class results. It will help enormously if you assemble a good kit of decorating equipment, choose the right paint and paper, and settle on an … Read more
Most paints require stirring before use, but read the instructions, particularly if the colour appears even when you open the can. Some oil paints need a very thorough mixing, using a clean wooden stick. Varnishes are better not stirred violently as this causes air bubbles which will mark the surface. Do all stirring before use, … Read more
Paint is used both for decoration and protection. Paints intended for outside work are designed to stand up to bad weather. They can be used inside, but there are some inside paints that are unsuitable outdoors. Modern paints have synthetic ingredients and some require different techniques from traditional paints. Read and follow the directions on … Read more
Painting a house wall is one of the oldest forms of decoration and still very popular. The best materials for amateur use are almost certainly the modern emulsion paints. These are water-solvent paints, but dry very hard. In fact a good emulsion paint may be scrubbed clean if it gets dirty. The washable distempers, which … Read more
Order of work. The rule of exterior decorating is: Start at the top and work downwards. Start painting at the top of the house on the soffits and barge boards. Soffits are behind the gutters and barge boards may be below the gables of a tiled roof. Paint the top level guttering next, then the … Read more
When you have painted your ceiling and your walls, you can tackle the woodwork. But if you are putting up a wallcovering, paint the woodwork first. Order of work Paint woodwork in this sequence: 1. doors and surrounds 2. cupboards and shelves 3. window frames and window sill 4. fireplaces 5. skirting boards. Preparation Bare … Read more
Brushes and rollers. Brushes paint to a sharp edge but give less coverage per stroke than rollers. They can be awkward for ceilings as the paint tends to run back down the handle. They are best for corners and work in cramped areas. Rollers cover large areas more quickly than brushes and are better for … Read more
First strip your room for action. Take down curtains and remove pictures from the walls. Group furniture in the centre of the room away from the walls. Remove shades from light fittings to ensure maximum illumination when you are working after dark. Cover the floor with plastic sheeting, old sheets or brown paper. Newspaper is … Read more
Complete all preparation work before applying undercoats. Paint your room in this order: first the ceiling, then the walls, finally the woodwork. Types of paint Paints can be divided into two basic groups: 1. oil-based paints (best known as “gloss”, also available in eggshell and flat finishes); 2. water-borne paints (best known as “emulsions” or … Read more
Different areas have their own special problems which you can easily overcome by modifying your basic painting technique and making use of one or two tricks. Painting up to an edge This is something which you have to do on lots of occasions — ranging from finishing off along a skirting board to painting around … Read more
90% of Gloss painting techniques boil down to preparation. Make sure you have enough gloss paint to finish the job completely — if you run out you may leave an edge that will show. There is also a slight risk of colour variation — if you have to work from two cans, swap over in … Read more
Dents, cracks and chips must be filled or they will show through the new paint. But before you reach for the filling knife, it’s worth taking a moment just to check the problem. Sometimes, blemishes in the paint coat can indicate a fault in the underlying woodwork. Two things to watch out for are cracks … Read more
If you’ve decided that the old paint is in such bad condition that the only solution is to strip it and start again, you are faced with a choice of methods. Choosing the right one can save you time, effort and money. There are three options — physical removal, chemical strip-ping and heat. Physical removal … Read more
This breaks down into two areas — preparing the room and preparing the surface. Preparing the room consists of ensuring a clean, dry dust-free environment, and protecting the furnishings from splashes of paint. Preparing the surface is what gives the finishing coats their smooth base. Start by giving yourself room to work. Move all the … Read more
There are no secrets to getting a good paint finish — just patience, care and attention to detail. Get this right and you’ll be rewarded with paintwork that’s almost as good as a car’s and will give tough protection for years. It’s an old but nonetheless true saying that successful painting is very little about … Read more