IF YOU CAN P*** YOU CAN PAINT

We’ve all heard this and yes to a certain extent its true, but then again there’s painting and there’s painting! I can drive but I’m no Lewis Hamilton. Here is some advice on painting walls using water based emulsion.

Preparation is key:
The first thing anyone needs to do when painting a room is put the kettle on. ‘The entire
British Empire was built on cups of tea, if you think I’m going to war without one you’re
mistaken’.
Now you need to empty the room of everything that you can, you don’t want to damage
your furniture of your favourite heirloom from granny. Any large objects that can’t be
removed can be moved to the centre of the room and covered with plastic sheeting. Then
it's a good idea to cover the plastic with twill dust sheets which will help weight them down
and stop them blowing off every time you open the door. Then cover the floor with rigid
sheets of plastic floor covering or sticky backed carpet protector. Don’t skimp on sheets,
trust me paint will splash and splatter!
Now unscrew any light switches and sockets, being careful that you don’t unscrew them
too far that they come away completely. If you have any doubts or worries contact a
competent person to replace them. Then wrap the edges in masking tape.

Fill and sand the walls:
Now get a decent filling knife and rake out any cracks, then using a good multi purpose
filler fill all cracks, holes and nicks. Now you have to let this dry, so time for another cuppa,
and even a nice piece of cake.
Once dry, get some fine sandpaper and using a sanding block gently rub the filler until
smooth.

Prepare the paint:
Use a paint stirring stick or an old wooden spoon will do, thoroughly mix the paint, and
restir during the painting process.
Decant some paint into the roller tray, being careful to wipe off the excess paint that runs
down the side of the tin. A good tip here is to always pour the paint on the opposite side to
the label of the tin, so the paint doesn’t obscure the label, especially if you have had the
colour specially mixed.
If you are not painting your woodwork (I can explain how to do this in a future blog,
depending how this one is received), use a good quality masking tape and firmly apply to
the skirtings, door frames and window frames. Make sure you get a good seal so the paint
doesn’t seep under the tape.

Now for the fun bit....

Applying the paint:
Tackle one wall at a time. Work from the top of the wall ‘cut in’ using a decent brush to the
ceiling, if you don’t have a steady hand you could mask off the ceiling but its always good
practice to try to cut in.
Brush paint along the ceiling, corners and skirting, also around any switches and sockets.
Now ‘charge’ the roller with paint and cover the main expanse of the wall, keeping away
from the edges and sockets. When applying the paint with the roller use long strokes in a
W motion to help avoid those annoying roller marks. Repeat this process on the remaining
walls.
Once dry, according to the manufacturers instructions you can carry out the second coat.

Cleaning up:
Almost there..... but not quite time to chill out.
Once the paint is fully dry you can carefully remove the tape from the woodwork and the
sheets, be careful to check the paint spots and splatters are dry, the last thing you want to
do is drag wet paint across your sofa.
Clean up your brushes and roller sleeves in warm soapy water, and leave to dry. Tip, its a
good idea to keep your brushes off the bristles when they dry so as not to damage them.
Now you’re done its time to put the room back, have another cuppa, or even treat yourself
to a wine or beer, relax and admire your work.