Painting - don't know what I'm doing!

[user1479289699]

A total paint novice here, is anyone able to help me with a list of steps and advice to redecorating the whole house? Or link me to a dummy's guide to, please?

The current walls are a mix of bright pink, green, purple, black..! We would like to paint everything white in the first instance and then choose our colours as we live in the house.

What do I need to be doing to the current walls to get them ready for this white coat? What type of paint, primer etc do I need to be buying for this, which will allow us to paint over with another colour in the near future?

I'm also confused by all the different finishes - matte / gloss / silk etc?

The ceilings have just been re-plastered, what do I need to be looking for for white ceiling paint? And do I need a prep/primer for the ceilings too? Can I use the same white paint for the walls as the ceiling?

Thank you!

Ceilings first. Have a look on YouTube - there are some great videos on there which will help you. Start with a smaller room you are not likely to visitors in so you can make mistakes and gain skills and confidence. You'll be fine.

Go over any cracks with filler (use a credit card type thing) then sand them down. Wash everything with sugar soap to get marks off. Usually emulsion for ceilings, and gloss (or any other finish you want) but paint for woodwork on doors and skirting. For walls go for something hardwaring on the places most likely to get knocks (halls). Kitchens and bathrooms can be painted with stuff that is moisture-resistance and wipeable.

I had to paint a room white recently that had a dark colour on the fireplace. It took about 3 coats.

I'd go with silk paint on walls as easier to wipe down. Although if walls are in bad condition matt would be the best, more forgiving.

If you have newly plastered ceilings (did you have artex skimmed over?) you need to put a mist coat on there first. Mix 3 parts white emulsion with 1 part water and paint that on first.

thanks all yes we did have artex skimmed over. Have bought a Leyland white matte emulsion so will be doing a mist coat on ceiling first with an undiluted coat second (after wiping with sugar soap). Then on walls, filling in cracks, sand papering, sugar soap then that same Leyland white. Fingers crossed!

I found this filler (I think it comes in a couple of different finishes) so much better than polyfilla from a tube

www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/t/TOUPRET_READY_MIXED_FILLER/

It maybe more expensive but it's really fine, sticks well to what you apply it to and sands down really well. Screwfix used to sell it but I can only see the "make it up yourself" formulation on their website which I haven't tried

That and decorators chaulk. If you can get rid of lumps bumps and cracks before you paint you get a great finish.

Hope the Leyland works ok for you. I've got 10 litres of it that I can't get to stick to our ceilings...