Ten Top Tips For a Great Paint Job

1 Prepare the walls and skirtings by scrubbing with sugar soap then wiping dry. Fill any minor dings and surface damage using interior filler.

 

2 Cover the floors and furniture using taped-down drop sheets or old bed linen. Mask off windows, powerpoints and electrical switches.

 

3 Use the best quality brushes and rollers you can afford. Cheap tools are a false economy and will neither last as long nor give as good a result.

 

4 Stir the paint well using a mechanical stirring attachment with a cordess drill.

 

5 Paint the trim first, starting with the skirting, then the architraves, then door and window frames.

 

6 Cut in around windows, doors, skirtings, cornices and architraves using a paint edger pad. For hard-to-reach places, use a screw-in extension handle.

 

7 Paint the ceilings before the walls, using flat ceiling paint.

 

8 Paint the walls, starting from the edges and the corners, using a brush and a medium nap roller.

 

9 Work in sections, starting from the upper part of the walls and doing the lower parts last.

 

10 Allow adequate drying time between coats and avoid painting when the temperature is falling.