Painting

Preparation:

1. If possible move all furniture either out of the room or into a cluster in the middle of the room. Cover with plastic or canvas drop sheets.
2. Check the surface to be painted for any cracks, holes, nails, or ripples from old paint runs.
3. Remove nails.
4. Scrape off any peeling paint.
5. Fill all cracks and holes with a quick drying filler.
6. Allow filler to dry and then sand smooth.
7. Remove all dust using a vacuum cleaner.
8. Wash surface with a little sugar soap in the water to remove any grease and dirt.
9. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Equipment:

The following are useful for every paint job:

• cutting in brush with angled bristles
• 25 mm and 12 mm brushes
• 100 mm brush for large sufaces
• Roller
• Roller pole
• Roller tray
• masking tape
• dry rags
• drop sheets

Paint Selection:

•  Calculate the quantity of paint needed for your job by multiplying the length of the area by the height. If you are painting a room with 4 walls measure the combined length of all 4 walls and multiply by the height of the room. Don't deduct the area of windows unless they cover a very large area.
• In the past it was considered best to use gloss or smi-gloss oil based paints for metal and wood windows and doors. Today water based paints have improved and are now considered durable enough for these areas.
• Flat water based paint is ideal for interior plaster walls. They are quick drying, easy to work with, and almost odourless. They also come in a wide range of colours.
• Oli based paints are more difficult to apply and they are slow to dry. They create strong fumes when drying which required long periods of ventilation.

Paint application:

Start with the ceiling when painting a room. Cover any stains with a spot of undercoat first.

1. Cut in with the top coat all around the edges, corners and light fittings.
2. Work the paint across the width of the ceiling with a roller on a pole.
3. Use drop sheets over everything.
4. Using the finish coat for the walls cut in around the cornice, skirting boards, wondows, doors, and in the corners.
5. Load the roller evenly with paint and work it over the surface of the wall using an M or V shaped motion and taking care to smooth out any ridges of paint.

Clean up:

1. Remove as much paint as possible from the roller by pressing it back and forth on old newspaper.
2. Immerse both roller and brushes in running water until the water runs clear.
3. Use water with a little detergent added if necessary.
4. Shake water out of brushed and roller.