Painting Tips

How to prepare a room
1. Roll up the carpet/rugs. Make sure furniture is covered and moved to centre
of the room. Put down a dust sheet or paper on the floor around the area you are painting.
2. Loosen or remove attached equipment (wall sockets etc.) and remove all switch plates, and door and window furniture.
3. Make sure you remove all loose paint and plaster/wallpaper.
4. When painting over wallpaper make sure all seams are properly glued
5. Rake out and fill all cracks, screw holes, seams and imperfections with proprietary filler.
6. Sand smooth any repairs to walls
7. Before painting, sand all areas lightly.
8. Remove all dust and debris from walls using a damp cloth, tack cloths or vacuum the area.

Equipment to make a professional job of decoration
4-foot Roller Extension Handle. To paint your ceilings.

Roller tray, Cotton Clean-Up Rag, 9-inch Paint Roller. Rollers larger than nine inches are heavy, unwieldy, and inaccurate. Seven-inches are handy for getting inside cabinets and cupboards. Select the right nap for the surface you’re painting (check the label): rough, average, or very smooth. As a general rule, the smoother the surface you’re painting, the shorter the nap you use.

Hammer, Can Opener. Hand scraper. Use the point to pick out loose paint and cracked plaster; the flat top, to scrape loose paint.

When working on ceilings or in cramped areas, decant a little paint from its heavy gallon can into a small, light container. A clean plastic food-storage container with a tight-fitting cover is ideal for emulsion paint; a metal can is better for oil paint.

Brushes. You need the right brush for your task. Select proprietary brushes for the type of paint being used. Straight-edge brushes handle all tasks nicely. Some people find angled brushes more comfortable in tight spots; and angled brushes are especially good for painting trim and straight edges. Choose the bristles you’re most comfortable with-stiff or bendable.

Reasons to prime the work before applying the finish coat.
1. To improve the look and performance of the finish coat.
2. To seal unpainted surfaces or to provide a more receptive surface for the finish coat.
3. To ease the transition from a dark to a light colour and to prevent stains from bleeding through the finish coat.
4. To prepare a surface previously painted with alkyd paint for a new coat of emulsion paint.

Which primer?
Use The Little Greene Universal Primer Undercoat for all interior and exterior priming and sealing wallboard, concrete, brick, woodwork, metals or plaster. Allow primer coat to dry overnight before painting. Clean up with white spirit.

How to paint a room
1. Lay a flattened corrugated box on the floor and set out your tools and paint cans, its padded surface will protect the floor and soak up any drips.
2. Decant some of the paint into a smaller, easy to handle container.
3. Load a 2- or 3-inch straight-edge brush. The correct way is to dip the bristles one-half to two thirds of the way into the paint. Don’t get paint on the ferrule (the metal wrapper that holds the bristles). Clear excess paint from one side to the brush by dragging it against the side of the container; don’t drag both sides. Always apply the loaded side of the brush to the wall.
4. Working from the ceiling down, paint a 3-inch frame around all the edges of the room that would be awkward to roll. Paint the corners; outline the ceiling; edge the skirting board and architraves to the windows and doors, baseboard, light fixtures, plugs and switchplates. Painters call this ‘’cutting in’’
5. Let the paint dry. Now you are ready to use a roller to cover the large areas.
6. Slip the appropriate sleeve onto the roller cage (handle). Attach the roller extension handle.
7. Pour about an inch of paint into the deep reservoir end of the paint tray. Leave the other end of the tray clear.
8. Dip the roller into the tray, and move it back and forth on the roller bed. The roller should be well saturated with paint, but not dripping.
9. Once again, you will work from the ceiling down.
Roll an area about 2 feet square. Work the roller up, down, and across until you’ve covered the area evenly. Cover the entire ceiling and wall this way, square by square.
10. If paint begins to build up on the wall at the edges of the roller, gently roll out the lines immediately. Latex paint starts drying quickly, so don’t go back over tacky paint.
11. Watch out for “painters holidays” – patches where paint is too thin. If another coat is necessary, allow the paint to dry properly before repeating.
12. Painting windows.
Try not to lay on paint too thickly, and avoid the edges where moving parts meet. Slide windows up and down during the job to keep them from sticking shut.
13. Painting the trim. Work from ceiling to floor: picture rail first, skirting boards last. Hold brush comfortably in your hand and take care not to overload it with paint.

Before painting skirting boards, do one final dusting. Once skirting boards are painted, close off the room from dust, and let everything dry.

Cleaning Up

Cleaning a brush

Spirit thinned oil paints
Rinse brush thoroughly in a suitable container of White Spirit until free from paint. Press dry with paper towels, and hang brush up to store.

Emulsion Paints
Because emulsion paint is waterbased, cleanup requires only water and perhaps soap. Hold brushes under warm running water to rinse off excess paint. Add a few drops of mild washing-up liquid if necessary, and use a stiff brush to coax any remaining paint out of the bristles. Pat the washed brush dry with paper towels. When possible, store brushes by hanging them.

Storing paint.
Always store paint tightly sealed in original container, out of extreme temperatures (not in the basement or garage), and away from children.

Disposing of paint cans, waste paint, and cleaning solvents.
Check with your local authority waste disposal Department about correct, responsible procedures.

Quick Guidance For Painters

Make sure surfaces to be painted is dry sound and free from dirt and materials which would affect the appearances and life of the paint.

Ensure glossy surfaces are abraded to provide a suitable key for any new paint.

Remove all dust and debris from the surface as this will affect the look of the finished job.

When painting metals or alkaline substrates select the correct primer for the job.

Follow the guidance on the can regarding drying times and thinners.