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Use correct scaffolding when painting

Use light neutral colors when painting dark areas.



 
 

HOW TO PAINT



 

Learn how to paint your own home with painting tips and advice from a qualified Painter & Decorator with over 30 years experience in the painting industry. Painting can be easy when you know what you are doing and hopefully the information on the site will help you with your painting project. The most exciting part about painting is how it can transform the look of a room or the appearance of a house.

There are some simple techniques that will help you with your next painting project, one that people often get wrong is how to load a paint brush. It may sound laughable but there is a technique to this and it will make a difference when you are painting. The other classic is how to hold a paint brush, there is a correct way to hold it and there is more then one way to do this. I do get a lot of people inquiring about work and they all say they know how to paint but when it comes to actually applying the paint they look awkward and are usually very slow. After showing them the correct way most will agree that it is a lot easier and quicker. So if you learn some of the basics then you will be off to a good start and hopefully it will make your next painting project much easier to do.


 

One of the main issues with painting is getting your preparation right, this is the key to any painting project, if you don't prepare the surface correctly then you may end up with paint peeling off within a few years or in extreme circumstances it could come off within days. When prepared correctly and painted correctly you should have pleasure in knowing that you will not need to repaint any time soon, so take a little bit more care and get it right the first time.

 
 

 
 

REASONS FOR PAINTING

 
 

There are three basic reasons for painting.

 
 

(1)  Preservation - This is one of the most important reasons for painting, unfortunately a lot of people leave there out side painting until its too late. Paint is designed to protect your exterior surfaces from the elements, a well maintained house will look great and the over all maintenance expensive will be less.

 
 

(2)  Sanitation - Over time most places will get dirty and look unclean specially commercial kitchens and public toilets, you can imagine how dirty some of these places would get. Paint can only be washed so many times before the coating is worn down, at this stage its harder to wash and can retain bacteria. So its important to maintain a healthy environment by regularly cleaning areas like this and repainting when they need to be.

 
 

(3)  Decoration - This is the most popular reason for painting, most of the time people will repaint a room because they don't like the existing colour. This is also the fun part, changing the look of a room or house by painting it a different colour.

 
 

(4)  Identification - I almost forgot about this one. its more so for commercial and industrial premises as they need to colour code all gas, water and electrical lines for quick identification.

 

 

HOW LONG DOES PAINT LAST

 

 

How Long Does A Paint Job Last

 
 

Internal Paint Work -  Can last many years but there are a lot of varying factors to exactly how long it will last or how long it will look good for. One issue is movement, this will over time open up cracks around the ceiling, windows and door frames, this is normal for all houses but structural cracks can appear for other reasons. Water damage is another issue, a leaking roof can cause water stains on a ceiling and smoke stains from a smoker or an open fire place can cause smoke damage. I painted a room that hadn't been done for 30 years, the only place where paint was peeling from was around a water leak, so paint can last a long time internally but it may not look the best.

External Paint Work - Location is one of the main factors in how long your paint work will last for so as a bit of a guide on how often you should repaint the exterior will depend on how it looks. Generally have a look at how well your paint work is holding out, see if your windows are starting to peel in the corners also check other timber surfaces as they are normally the first to show signs of wear and tear.

Beach Front - repaint every 2 - 4 years

General Exterior - repaint every 7 - 10 years

Personally I had an old customer ring up after 12 years to repaint their exterior (all timber work) and all that was required was a touch up and one coat.

 

 

How Long Does Paint Last In The Can

 
 

Often people will ask me if its ok to use paint that is years old and general yes it is as long at the tin has been sealed and the paint hasn't gone hard. I have opened a paint tin that was 12 years old and it was as good as the day it was purchased but it was a full can. If there is only a small amount of paint in the can then it will go off a lot quicker, some times within twelve months or less. Oil based paints generally form a skin on top and that skin can be removed and the paint can be used but if you remove the skin and the paint has gone really thick then don't use it.

 

 

ARTICLES ON HOW TO PAINT

 

 

How To Paint A Room

 
 

This article covers the processes that you will need to follow when painting a room. The step by step guide is fairly standard for the first few steps but as you read further down the information becomes a bit more detailed and will guide you on the best way to paint a room.

 

 

Do I Need To Prime

 
 

A lot of people ask me if they need to prime the walls before they start painting. This article covers issues regarding when you need to prime and when primer is not required.

 

 

How To Choose Paint Colours

 
 

This is one of the most difficult areas of painting, people often ask me for my opinion but I think it is a personal thing when choosing paint colours. However some paint colours do go better together than others and some paint combinations just look terrible. In this article I talk about how you can use one colour but different shades or strengths for different surfaces.

 

 

How To Apply Stain

 
 

There are a few different types of stains that are available and this article goes into detail about what stain may suit your needs and how to apply the stain of your choice.

 

 

Painting Tips

 
 

This article covers some of the basic tips that will help you with your painting project, some are just simple tips but could save you some headaches later.

 

 

How To Paint A Roof

 
 

There are a variety of different materials that can be used for a roof, this article covers the technique used for painting each one and what options you have when it comes to purchasing roof paint.

 

 

How Much Paint Will I Need

 
 

This article covers the basics of how much paint you will need, there are variables when it comes to using paint and manufactures coverage rates are only a guide.

 

 

How To Paint Wood or Trim

This article takes a look at what paint is best suited for painting interior and exterior woodwork with information on how to paint wood or trim including how to paint MDF

How To Paint A House

When painting the exterior of a house there are a few ways you can do this, this article goes through the steps required and explains the different ways you can tackle your exterior painting project.

 


     
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