It seems rather false of me to be writing this article about painting yourself when I have a painter in the house doing all our skirtings
. But remember I do have a broken foot as my excuse and I have painted many, many rooms. So for those of you who would like to give it a whirl here are some tips.
1.Preparation
This is important and can’t be skipped. Miss this bit and you are often wasting your time painting the room.
You need to fill any cracks in the wall. If the crack is large and wide I will use a product called Builder’s Bog (silly name I know) to fill it. For fine cracks I use Gyprock Final Finish compound as it gives a very smooth finish.
Then you need to sand any filler when it dries and any uneven or flaky surfaces on the walls. You get different grades of sanding paper but don’t use too coarse a sandpaper for this.
If you have filled a large crack or a good portion of the wall you may need to use a sealer over the filler. You can get a water based sealer which is easier to use. Use this also if you have areas where paint is flaking or lifting.
Next give the room a good vacuum, especially the floor near the walls. Then wash down the walls with a mixture of Liquid Sugar Soap and warm water.
And finally (the part my DH seems to skimp on) put down drop sheets. Some people like to tape their skirting to prevent drips. I prefer to have a wet cloth with me the whole time so I can quickly wipe off any marks. I do place a small cloth over windowsills.
2. Painting
The trickiest bit is the edging. There are several edging tools on the market and they can do a great job. How well they work depends on the type of cornice you have and how even the walls are where they meet the cornice. Our cornice doesn’t work well with them so I use the edging pad 1cm below the cornice then I use a cutting-in brush to take the paint along the edge of the cornice.
I often see on tv shows they roll the paint on the whole wall and then come back and do the cutting in. I was taught to edge part of the wall including the corner and the bottom and then to roll the paint. Then to move on to the next part of the wall and repeat. The idea is not to let a line form to show where you stopped and started. This works well if there are 2 of you- 1 edging and 1 rolling. Also never stop when you have not completely finished a wall to prevent a line from forming where you stopped.
With rolling I like to use a paint pole on the end of the roller so I don’t have to climb up and down a ladder. The secret is to get the right amount of paint on the roller. Too much paint and it splatters everywhere. Too little paint and you don’t get good paint coverage on your walls. But it is just practice.
3. Cleaning Up
I put a plastic bag over my paint tray and then pour the paint into the tray. This makes cleaning up easier. I have tried some gadgets to help with cleaning the rollers. I have tried hosing the rollers on the lawn. But the best way to get the rollers and brushes clean I find is to rinse the excess paint and then leave them to soak overnight. They are not cheap tools so I try to wash them out thoroughly.
I hope this helps a little.
If you have any more tips or do your painting a different way let us know. We love to hear your ideas
.
Painting tips
Linear Mode
