Painting Projects

Painting is the by far the cheapest and quickest option when wanting a new look, with a seemingly infinite range of colours and special effects, which can be combined to create an abundance of different looks and feeling to any room.

There are also lots of tools and gadgets specially designed for the job, which allow professional looking results to be achieved. The first thing to do is decide what you want to achieve.

Are you looking to brighten up a dismal room, change a bedroom into a nursery ready for a new arrival, or simply wanting a fresh new look?

You also have the option to use the many stains and varnishes as an alternative to paint, when decorating woodwork, these are usually more hard wearing and easier to maintain than paint, but unless it is new wood, there is a great deal of hard work to strip of the old paint first.

Remember preparation is paramount when it comes to decorating, the quality of the finished job, can be adversely affected with poor or rushed preparation.

DIY Painting Projects.

Applying paint	Look at the different tools available
Chemical stripping	Stripping woodwork using a chemical stripper, learn how to apply and neutralize the chemical and also how to make your own paste.
Dipping	Have a professional firm remove years of old paint.
Filling holes and cracks	How to repair small cracks and holes.
Hand sanding	Different methods of removing paint and sanding down woodwork using hand tools.
Heat stripping	Removing paint from wood using a hot air gun.
Mechanical sanding	Using orbital and disc sanders to remove paint from large wooden surfaces.
New plaster	Dealing with new plaster and preparation for painting or wallpapering.
Paint coverage and drying times	Find out how much paint will be needed using the charts, work out drying times and methods of application.
Paint types and finishes	Learn about the different paint types and possible uses.
Painting awkward areas	Painting behind radiators and around light fittings and sockets.
Painting doors	Method for painting panelled and flush doors.
Painting skirting boards	How to paint a skirting board without getting dirt on the brush.
Painting walls and ceilings	Sequence for painting walls and ceilings, using brushes, rollers or pads.
Painting windows	How to paint a window frame in the right order and without getting paint on the glass.
Preparing the paint	How to prepare the paint without contaminating it.
Removing wallplugs	Remove wallplugs, nails etc without damaging the plaster.
Using a paint brush	How to look after and use a paint brush.
Using a paint roller	How to look after and use a paint roller.
Using paint pads	How to look after and use paint pads.