Painting - your tips please

[Peppin]

Am planning to put house on the market in the new year, so the getting it ready process starts soon. Really every room needs to be painted. I can't afford to pay a decorator so will have to do it myself at weekends. I am dreading it!

Would be grateful for any tips. e.g. how long should I allow to paint one room? What stuff do I need? Are rollers or brushes better?

I will be painting in light neutral shades and there is no dark paint or wallpaper to go over so should think 2 coats would be enough. I don't want to spend a lot on F&B paint so thinking of going for Dulux.

[NickNacks]

I'm watching for tips too!

I know they say preparation, preparation, preparation but i'm not entirely sure what that means!

[JuliaScurr]

preparation - wash walls, fill any holes, sand gloss. roller faster - don't get too much on roller, press quite hard to get smooth finish

[PigletJohn]

matt emulsion shows blemishes less than silk.

matt does not stick to silk unless you lightly scuff it to take the shine off first

when you paint a wall, any remaining blemishes will be more visible, so give it a coat of white (which is cheaper) first, then fill any cracks or chips you hadn't noticed.

if you put too much filler on, scrape it flat with a broad metal scraper before it goes hard. This will be much easier and less dusty than sanding it afterwards. Apply filler with a broad metal filling knife and press very hard so it is flat with the surrounding wall and there is no lump that you will have to remove later.

Do all your preparation before any painting. Paint the woodwork first. Use dustsheets that will fit in your washer. Cover everything and hoover up all dust frequently. Put computer, TV, other electronics in a dust-free room and cover them. When you uncover them, don't shake all the dust off the covers so it gets into the devices anyway.

Fresh air dries paint. Heat doesn't.

[Pancakeflipper]

I prefer a paint pad to the roller. I seem to be able to control it better. And it gets into more nooks and crannies.

You need small brushes.

Have kitchen roll handy and a towel so you can wipe your hands (I think I am a messy painter).

Use masking tape on the skirting boards etc. Use low tack masking tape if it's paint you taping so it doesn't pull it off.

Air room as much as possible whilst painting to help it dry and remove odours.

[Chunkamatic]

small brushes and a steady hand are more reliable for doing edges than masking tape, imo.

If woodwork is already painted make sure it is redone, it is a pita but worth it for the finished look.

[fossil97]

Basically you paint all the edges first with a two inch brush and a steady hand/masking tape to get a clean edge, then roller all the rest.

Having just had a decorator in, I would increase your productivity with some of this (or its refill is cheaper). It's like a masking tape with thin plastic attached to one side (it folds out) so it both masks and protects edges, skirtings etc. We were very impressed.

I guess I'd allow a day for an average room, walls only and not too much prep. Quicker with two people!

[FishfingersAreOK]

I am a lazy caaw and since DC turned up not done any painting - but last time I did I found that having on hand some paint-wipe-away-baby wipe thingies a godsend. Cannot remember their name (as am sozzled from too much wine watching tennis -hic) but found in the painting aisle - babywipes for crap painters in essence...

[NeedaClearout]

I've just finished painting all the rooms (3 bedroom house). It took over a month because I had to do it in short sessions as work full time and commitments at weekends. I got into a routine of doing 1 - 2 hours a day, bit of prep, first coat on one wall, second coat on another, found it quite relaxing. We'd had a big declutter and don't have a lot of furniture so that helped. Also used micro fibre paint roller, more expensive but well worth it, no spatter and holds more paint.

[PigletJohn]

and do the ceiling first, of course.

[Yankeecandlequeen]

I've just painted the whole house (10 rooms & 1 looooooong hallway) & ALL was fresh plaster. What a bore but it had to be done. Now way we could afford to pay a decorator.

Baby wipes are essential. I used a brush to cut it and a roller to do the job. Ceilings were done 1st (3 coat) then a mist cost on the walls, followed bu 2 coats of emulsion.

Once the flooring is down the skirtings go on & I'll have to paint them too.

[Peppin]

Thanks all. Not sure what the baby wipes are needed for? Last time I painted I used masking tape along skirtings and round light fittings to stop paint going on them. Is that not right?

So, from your advice I will be doing the following in following order:

1. preparation - fill holes/cracks, wash walls with sugar soap, etc.

1. paint ceiling

1. paint woodwork

1. paint walls

Does that sound right?

[soonbesailing]

If you are using eggshell on woodwork, you have the choice of water based or oil based.

If using water based use a synthetic brush, do not overwork the paint by going over it again and again as the underneath starts to dry and you will then get brush marks, use thin coats do not paint on too thickly.

If using oil based use a natural hair brush and make sure you leave enough time for it to dry between coats.

You will need at least 2 coats to get a good finish.

[libelulle]

Have a look at the tips on traditionalpainter.com and in particular his list of kit at
traditionalpainter.com/how-paint-walls-with-wooster-kit
I think he's posted on here in the past in fact.

Anyhow, we've just painted our entire house using his list of suggested kit and tips. It cost us 130 pounds online to get all of the brushes/rollers/extension kit but I think it was worth it, you can spend that much in a single B&Q trip but still come out with rubbish brushes and rollers. If I say so myself, the results in our house look pretty damned amazing :)

[Peppin]

Thanks libelulle, getting the stuff online is a good idea. Will help me to feel that I am taking control of this horrible task! I'll have a look at that website and start making a list.

soonbesailing, out of water-based or oil-based eggshell, is one better than the other for any reason? E.g. looks nicer, more hard wearing?

[Peppin]

Does anyone have any recommendations for paint brands? I have read that Dulux and Crown can be a bit patchy quality-wise. I don't want to spend F&B prices as am selling the house, but equally, I do want to have a good finish.

Will need emulsion for walls in neutral colours and probably some kind of acrylic (or water-based) eggshell paint for woodwork.

Your thoughts?

[amazonianwoman]

Trade stuff is good and cheaper than Dulux. I use Johnstone's/Leyland a lot - both their colours and colour matched F&B. Obv you don't get the chalky depth, but good enough, especially if you intend to sell.

[fossil97]

If I was painting a house to sell, I'd choose one or two colours (fewer leftovers) and pick a colour from a trade range. The merchants do carry Crown, Dulux etc trade ranges but the Albany/Leyland etc will be cheaper. You can also get a good big tester pot for a couple or three pounds. (colours often look much paler on the wall than the chart).

If you can list out all the paint you need a decorator's merchant might give you a good price for it or set you up a cash account so you get the trade discount on your future purchases. Somewhere like a Brewer's local to you?

[PigletJohn]

"I have read that Dulux and Crown can be a bit patchy quality-wise"

where did you hear that?

they are used a lot by the trade and would lose a lot of business if not trustworthy.

Popular colours are often cheaper in a DIY shed. Own-brands often need an extra coat as they seem thinner. Dulux Trade is a good range. Matt hides uneven surfaces better than silk.

[Peppin]

I read that about Dulux and Crown on the site that Libelulle linked to. It didn't say they were crap/untrustworthy, just that the quality was variable.

The other thing I'd like to know about is how to get a proper wipeable finish on a kitchen wall. At the moment I have matt emulsion which I was told would wipe clean but doesn't. The wall where the kitchen bin is really needs to be wipeable. Should I use a bathroom paint there?

[PigletJohn]

A vinyl silk emulsion can be wiped, but will eventually look stained and marked. Matt gets dirtier and is harder to clean.

I would tend to say, wipe it until it looks bad, then wash it down with sugar soap and give it an extra coat (emulsion is very quick and easy to paint if the surface is not cracked or chipped). Common colours will be stocked for years.

I've heard pro's say k&b paint is a con but I haven't used it myself.

[fossil97]

I have the Dulux "bathroom plus" in our bathroom, have to say its the nastiest plasticky shiny finish I've used in a long time. Probably is wipeable but looks yuck IMO. You could try buying a 'durable matt', most of the ranges have one, or just keep the leftovers and paint over every so often? There is only so much you can expect from paint after all!

[Boondoggle]

Hello again. I have bought some Wooster brushes and rollers, and this weekend the painting starts. So now thinking about the prep. Some of my walls have some odd bumpy bits - look a bit like chunks of paint - and dings which I'll need to fill. Which then means sanding. Do I need a vacuum sander? Is there one that's not too expensive?

[Boondoggle]

Forgot to say; have changed name!

[delphic]

More things you might want to consider - if the wall is really cracked and rough, you can paper it first with cheap 'lining paper' that you can then paint over.

If a wall is papered like this, or freshly plastered, it will be very absorbent. You can reduce this by using a wash of diluted paint as a primer coat.

[Boondoggle]

I am a total novice so I don't think I could cope with putting up lining paper. I was thinking of perhaps sanding the bumps to see if that helped. It's not really bad - only one or two hairline cracks and a few bumpy bits.

I am a bit of a perfectionist so I can tell I am going to be really pernickity but at the end of the day I'm only doing the painting to freshen up the house for marketing, so I just need to get to "good enough".