OK, so you're finally ready to paint. That still doesn't mean picking up a paintbrush right away.
Here are some set up tips:
Use masking tape to tape skirting boards to the floor and around the windows, door frames and ceiling.
Before painting, use decorators' caulk to fill in any gaps between the skirting board and walls, and down the side of window frames.
Then prep the walls by rubbing them with sandpaper and dusting them off with a brush - try to get one with a lily bristle.
If you are sanding the ceiling, use a pole with a pad on top, covered with sandpaper. Or use a tall ladder to get up close..
After sanding, apply a miscoat of white emulsion (like a white wash) to the walls, which gives a blank surface to start on and see where to fill any imperfections. For the miscoat, take an empty bucket and one part emulsion to three parts water. To fill any holes, mix up your powder filler on the wooden board, make a hole in the middle, add water and mix it into a paste. After the filler has dried, sand the wall down and then dust it off. Use the filler to help when painting edges, too: run filler along the edge at the top and bottom of walls, then rub it down. You're left with a nice clean edge to brush in.
Top tips to finish like a champion
1. Cutting in
When you are painting the internal corner of a wall, where the wall meets the ceiling at a right angle, it's best to use a painting technique called "cutting in". To cut in, paint along the top of the wall in a horizontal line, keeping the edge of the brush tight to the ceiling using firm and steady strokes to give you a nice straight edge. "This technique is particularly handy if the ceiling is one colour and the wall another" says property developer Phil Turner, who has appeared on numerous DIY programmes. "It prevents any paint spilling over and gives you a nice edge to paint the rest of the wall from. Use the technique along skirting boards and windows too."
2. Pantyhose preserver
You'll find when you open a tin of paint that a top layer of skin has formed. Remove this by straining the paint. Place a piece of old stocking, cheesecloth, tights material or pantyhose over your paint bucket and strain the paint through. You can also try turning the paint upside-down for a few seconds while it's still in the tin, (obviously with the lid on tight).
3. High roller
Before you begin painting the ceiling, it's worth buying an extension handle for your roller. These are easy to get hold of. Being so high up, you won't want to lug a heavy paint tin up the ladder, so transfer some of it into a smaller container (eg, a big yoghurt pot).
4. White magic
White paint can be tricky because it's hard to keep track of where you've painted. Luckily there is such a thing as magic white paint. It goes on pink and then fades white as it dries. Try Dulux Magic.
5. Look after your paint
Keep your paint overnight in an airtight container. Make a note of the colour and room it is being used in so you don't get confused. Don't store paint in your garage; it will get cold in winter or too hot in summer and paint doesn't survive well in extreme conditions. Stop your paint from drying out: cover the tin with a layer of clingfilm, before putting the lid back on and store upside down.
Happy DIY
Then prep the walls by rubbing them with sandpaper and dusting them off with a brush - try to get one with a lily bristle.
If you are sanding the ceiling, use a pole with a pad on top, covered with sandpaper. Or use a tall ladder to get up close..
After sanding, apply a miscoat of white emulsion (like a white wash) to the walls, which gives a blank surface to start on and see where to fill any imperfections. For the miscoat, take an empty bucket and one part emulsion to three parts water. To fill any holes, mix up your powder filler on the wooden board, make a hole in the middle, add water and mix it into a paste. After the filler has dried, sand the wall down and then dust it off. Use the filler to help when painting edges, too: run filler along the edge at the top and bottom of walls, then rub it down. You're left with a nice clean edge to brush in.
Top tips to finish like a champion
1. Cutting in
When you are painting the internal corner of a wall, where the wall meets the ceiling at a right angle, it's best to use a painting technique called "cutting in". To cut in, paint along the top of the wall in a horizontal line, keeping the edge of the brush tight to the ceiling using firm and steady strokes to give you a nice straight edge. "This technique is particularly handy if the ceiling is one colour and the wall another" says property developer Phil Turner, who has appeared on numerous DIY programmes. "It prevents any paint spilling over and gives you a nice edge to paint the rest of the wall from. Use the technique along skirting boards and windows too."
2. Pantyhose preserver
You'll find when you open a tin of paint that a top layer of skin has formed. Remove this by straining the paint. Place a piece of old stocking, cheesecloth, tights material or pantyhose over your paint bucket and strain the paint through. You can also try turning the paint upside-down for a few seconds while it's still in the tin, (obviously with the lid on tight).
3. High roller
Before you begin painting the ceiling, it's worth buying an extension handle for your roller. These are easy to get hold of. Being so high up, you won't want to lug a heavy paint tin up the ladder, so transfer some of it into a smaller container (eg, a big yoghurt pot).
4. White magic
White paint can be tricky because it's hard to keep track of where you've painted. Luckily there is such a thing as magic white paint. It goes on pink and then fades white as it dries. Try Dulux Magic.
5. Look after your paint
Keep your paint overnight in an airtight container. Make a note of the colour and room it is being used in so you don't get confused. Don't store paint in your garage; it will get cold in winter or too hot in summer and paint doesn't survive well in extreme conditions. Stop your paint from drying out: cover the tin with a layer of clingfilm, before putting the lid back on and store upside down.
Happy DIY
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