How to paint a wall!

Painting is one of the most common home improvement projects taken on by DIY enthusiasts all year round. You don’t have to paint like a pro to be able to successfully paint a room, but it helps to have a few techniques up your sleeve to ensure a high quality finish, after all a poor paint job is easy to spot.

You will need :

- Overalls and other protective gear
- Angled brush
- Your chosen paint
- Roller
- Tray

 

After you have prepared your room by protecting your furniture and smoothing walls (see page 3 to find out ‘how to prepare your walls’ and ‘how to protect your furniture’ on page 4), you can then begin by cutting in. Ensure the room is well-ventilated before you commence. Cutting in is a well-known painting technique used by professionals and amateurs alike. Use an angled brush to cut around the edges of your skirting, corners and cornices, also cut around radiators and doorways.

 Dip your brush into the paint, covering a third of the bristles and tap off any excess paint (do not brush excess paint away). Paint a band of 2 to 3 inches around all corners, skirting, cornices and fixtures, this will give you some breathing space when it comes to rolling.

Once you have created a border, smooth any areas that are heavy in paint or any drips with the brush to achieve even coverage. When painting, complete the room wall by wall, rolling on paint when the edges that you have cut in are wet will provide an even shade once dried.

Top tip :

Protecting your skirting boards with masking tape isn’t always as effective as you think. For ultimate protection, protect your skirting with a paint shield, also known as a ‘George’. This is held over the skirting board so you can paint freely above without the danger of dripping excess paint onto your woodwork.

Next it is time to fill in the gaps by rolling paint onto the larger areas inside the border. Fill the tray with paint, leaving half an inch before the grate, dip the roller into the tray and roll onto the grate to distribute the paint evenly across the roller.

To distribute the paint further, roll a ‘W’ onto the wall and then start rolling paint vertically from ceiling to floor. Overlap with the edges where you have cut in to blend away brush marks and drips. Before applying your second coat, make sure you wait for the first coat to dry for the best results.