[Closed] Painting a room - tips and tricks

Buy decent paint.

Yep, from a professional painter and decorator I was lucky enough to know.

Rag, always. Wipe up spills as soon as they occur.

Emulsion 1st. You can go onto the woodwork no bother.

Roller on a pole. Jam the tray up against the skirting.

Then gloss, over any emulsion. Thus you only need to cut in each edge once.

HTH,

APF

Find an old radio.

Preparation is everything.

If you're using water based paint. Don't wash out your brushes/rollers. Just wrap them up in a plastic bag and they won't dry out.
You can have that one for nowt 🙂

1. Make a complete mess of it.
2. Take the bollocking from your partner like a man.
3. Let them finish it.

1. Make a complete mess of it.
2. Take the bollocking from your partner like a man.
3. Let them finish it.

Hence my new advice of "pay someone else to do it".

Chorlton - same works for oil based.

If you can pee, you can paint.

Do all the corners and edges first with a brush, then roller the walls. Ends up looking neater than if you roller first.

If you can pee, you can paint.

As above, good paint, I use Johnstone trade, quality tools, I prefer purdy roller sleeves and brushes. Prep makes all the difference and take your time. Toupret is a quality filler if needed.
Ps, this place is good to get paint. http://www.thepaintshed.com

1. Clear as much out of room as possible and move all furniture into middle so you've got a good working space all the way around.
2. Sheet everything down, all exposed flooring and furniture, everything.
3. Fill. Cracks and holes in ceiling and walls (powder filler or lightweight tub filler ie red devil) Cracks in corners fill with caulk (ie tops of skirting, ceiling and wall junction etc)
4. Kettle on.
5. Get ceiling paint out and ready (poured in roller scuttle, 3" brush and roller on a pole at the ready. Drink tea.
6. Cut in ceiling ( around the edges approx 3" wide, don't forget the light)
7. Wall paint out (2 paint scuttles helps here) Cut in lower walls (tops of skirting, up door frames, up corners of walls etc)
8. Roll ceiling.
9. Cut in tops of walls (if ceiling cutting in is dry)
10. Roll walls.
11. Tea.
12. Repeat 6 to 10.
13. Acrylic undercoat woodwork.
14. Tea.
15. Gloss/satinwood woodwork.
16. You're done (don't dust until woodworks dry!)

Free of charge that lot...welcome to my humble world 🙂

My best tip is to get the walls / ceiling re-skimmed if they're not smooth - remarkably cheap and then a joy to paint. Had most of the house re-skimmed now, but then my walls are over 120 years old.

As above with the fill information, especially around door surrounds. Easy to do and looks much better

Damp rag over the paint bucket overnight if needed

Saves Twangs list for future

Always stir your paint (emulsion) and if you do any caulking ...allow it to dry over night or the paint will crack when you paint over it.
If the room hasn't been painted in a long while, or your a ciggie smoker, or it's a kitchen/ bathroom.....them it's best to sugar soap the whole room and wash it off till the water is clear...ish

Prep is everything.......and use a easy rub filler....poly filler is crap..use jointing cement..and the only grade sand paper you need is really 80 and 120

Go out riding.Go on the sick and do it while your getting paid 😉

I've just had professional decorators in the house for the last three days doing the lounge (quite big), dining room, kitchen, entrance hall (with five doors off it), and hall cupboard (with combi boiler in it + loads of pipe work)
I supplied the paint, and the total cost for labour was £440
The cutting in around sockets/switches/fireplace/ window & door frames is nigh on perfect & they left NO mess !
I've spent the last three days on my bike, and after reinstating furniture/wall lights/door handles etc tomorrow morning, I'll be back out on the bike tomorrow afternoon.
Money well spent, I reckon ......... and the missus is over the moon !

Oh, and by the way, I'm a VERY good decorator, but slow & meticulous !!!!
Everything Cheekyget said is spot-on if you are looking for genuine tips to do the work yourself.
(I just learned a long time ago to sub-contract out that particular work and go ride my bike !)
Good Luck, Alan

I paid a couple of decorators to paint our hall last year. They did it in two days, however it cost £700 and I don't think they used the best materials and took the best care (there are some IMO sloppy bits of work).

In March I painted our open plan kitchen/dining area on my own. Did the prep (cleaning, filling, sanding, caulking) in evenings beforehand, and then took 5 straight days to do it. Took around 40-50 hours in total, but I did it (IMO) perfectly, so whenever I go into the room there is nothing that annoys me (things that only I would notice, but you know what I mean). Even though it was a fairly tedious exercise I'd do exactly the same again.

I used Dulux Endurance paint for the walls, and while expensive, is well worth the money IMO (if you have kids). Generally don't skimp on tools / materials - your time is worth more!

I also recommend putting brushes and rollers of emulsion in a bag and then in the fridge. If you are glossing, leave the brushes in a jar of water overnight, dry off and then continue the next day. Decent masking tape (scotchblue / frogtape) is worth the investment.

In general, take your time - don't rush it as you'll balls it up and it will annoy you forevermore!

Remember that no one will ever look at the result as closely as you do as you are painting.

I wish to God I could actually believe the above when I'm actually decorating.

when you've finished painting, wait half an hour till it drys, then go back over the bit you missed. use masking tap on your edges.

i found the small foam rollers better for gloss than using a brush

I had a decorator in who diluted the first coat of emulsion by half then a normal coat over that. The results were impressive.

Either get on with it - quickly - or wait until next year.

I find decorating an absolute pleasure*

* actually, i don't, but if I can time it to coincide with some decent major sporting event I can justify a few days off work to do it, and at the same time watch all the key bits of the sporting event too.

For that reason I can with some certainty say exactly when rooms were last done - eg: lounge and dining room, I nearly knocked the paint over when Chris Hoy won sprint gold = 2012.

avdave2 - Member

Remember that no one will ever look at the result as closely as you do as you are painting.

I wish to God I could actually believe the above when I'm actually decorating.

Very much this. Also applies to other DIY tasks...

Painted 2 bathrooms over the weekend. Same colours in both with one extra colour in the main bathroom.

Made much easier by the fact there isn't any sanitaryware in them at all as they are being refurbed completely. No tiles on the walls either.

Biggest win was thinking about the flow of work between rooms, cutting in vs rolling, colours and coats to avoid stopping waiting for paint to dry, changing over and washing brushes etc. I suppose that is the project manager in me coming out. All of the specfic instructions on what order to paint (even which corner to start in!) drove the wife mad mind, but we did get it all done rather than being sat down at 11pm on Sunday wishing we could put the final coat on but couldn't until the previous was dry.

Oh and never ever wash a roller sleve. Life is too short. Cling film until you are finished with that colour, then bin. They are 5 for £6 at B&Q. Why spend hours washing for that?

Kitchen next, I've got 36ish hours to get 3 coats on a very complicated room (lots of boxed in steel beams to paint around). Joy!

I have the kitchen to do. The brand new painted wood and oak tops kitchen. With everything in place.

Yes, I know.

And tips beyond dust sheeting to death then being extremely careful?

With everything in place

🙁

I've just had an almighty battle with our builder to get them to finish the kitchen more than 20 mins before the fitter was due in so I can get some paint on the walls/ceiling before the painted wood/granite kitchen goes in an makes the whole job much harder.

I think I won as I now have 36 hours to get 3 coats of paint on a very complicated room. Assuming the plaster is finally dry when I finish work today.

All I can add is NEVER use Crown paint.

squirrelking - Member
I have the kitchen to do. The brand new painted wood and oak tops kitchen. With everything in place.

Yes, I know.

And tips beyond dust sheeting to death then being extremely careful?