Painting tips

Preparation is the first step to producing good quality work. Before painting clear as much as you can from the work area and then put dust sheets over everything you don’t want paint to get on to.
Make sure you have everything to hand before you start painting: the correct amount of paint, brushes, step ladder, sandpaper, paint scraper, dust mask for old paint that may have lead in it, and a dusting brush.

If painting walls then take out all nails and such to make the walls clear then sand down smooth. Fill any cracks that need it and wait until dry then sand flat.
Woodwork should be lightly sanded to rough up the old paint enough to accept the new paint, but not too urgently as to put scratches in it that could show through when you have finished.
Dirty, greasy paintwork will have to be washed down with soapy water, and walls and ceilings that have a coat of grease or cigarette smoke stain will have to be washed with sugar soap and sealed then left to dry.
Cover all surfaces.

Bare plaster must be sealed using a watered down emulsion as a first coat then two thick coats to finish and cover.
Woodwork can have one undercoat and one gloss that is oil based; save the water based gloss paints for bare wood.
Walls that won’t dry after painting means that they are cold and probably damp and so using a de-humidifier or hot air blower will help to dry them out.
Always ensure there is good ventilation while you are in the room painting.
A long handled medium pile roller is best to paint the walls rolling back over your work to take out any lines in the paint.
Emulsion paint goes on walls, and gloss paint goes on woodwork.
Radiators can be painted with either a normal gloss paint that may yellow in time, or a radiator paint that will keep its colour.
Use only a powder filler, the ready mixed ones are too hard to sand down well.
Decorator’s caulking can be used to fill longer gaps such as along the top of skirting boards and up the side of door frames.
Plaster moulding must be filled and sanded very lightly using a powder filler mixed up according to how you need it.

Rollers can be left overnight in an airtight plastic bag ready for use the next day.
Brushes can be left with the bristles soaking in water.
Water based paints and wall emulsions can be washed out in warm soapy water from brushes and rollers.
Oil based paints have to be washed out of brushes in white spirit then warm soapy water.
Clean all paint spills as they happen as dry paint is harder to remove than wet paint.
Wait until daylight to check your work out as artificial light won’t enable you to see any blemishes or spots that have been missed.

Images from Pixabay