Painting Techniques
Painting Techniques
For the handywoman or handyman
If you use and practice the painting techniques recommended by paint manufacturers you can’t go far wrong. Here are some useful tips on how to paint walls and ceilings to get you started. If you want to produce a top quality finish, then not only is good painting techniques essential, so too is the right preparation of the surfaces, before the painting begins.
Preparing to Paint
- Decide what materials you need – brushes, rollers, painter’s tape, tape measure, roller tray, plastic drop sheet for the floor and paints to be used – primer/undercoat, top coat.
- Measure up the area to be painted. Measure the height of the wall by the width of the wall to find the square metres/footage to be painted. eg 2.1m high x 4.5m wide = 19.84 sq.m. 1 Litre of paint covers approximately 15 sq metres.
- If painting the whole room remove all furniture to protect it from paint splatter.
- Fix all imperfections or holes in the wall by using the appropriate poly filler for the job. Overfill the hole or imperfection and sand back with fine sand paper until flush with the existing wall.
- Use sugar soap or detergent in a bucket of water to wash ceilings, walls and trim. All surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned first to remove a build-up of dust and grime.
- Put down a drop sheet to protect floor tiles and carpets from paint splatter.
- Use painter’s tape to protect light and power point fittings and door and window trims from paint splatter. Remove just before the paint is completely dry. Makes for a nice neat finish
- Apply at least two coats of a quality primer/undercoat paint. A primer/undercoat seals the surface of the wall and provides a very good base for following coats.Paint takes a lot longer to dry when the air is damp or humid. Therefore, paint on dry days as the paint will dry a lot quicker
- Apply top coats and allow to dry at least 24 hours before (or the minimum time indicated on the back of the paint tin) before hanging curtains, mounting pictures, etc.
Here are two videos for you to watch that provide some very help tips.
