What is painting and decorating?

Painting is a just one aspect of Painting and Decorating

Painting and decorating is one of the easiest forms of DIY for beginners to start on. It can vary from basic work like painting a wall (either with rollers, brushes etc) and more difficult decorating, such as wall papering and plastering. Lets start with some golden rules!

Golden Rules:

•    Try to purchase you best quality equipment available within your budget. You will regret it later, when your bristles are falling out of your cheap brush.

•    Also try to purchase  quality paint and decorating materials. The lower grades of paint often require more coats, so are a false economy.

•    Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on paint tins and other materials. Go with with your instinct in some situations as these directions are not applicable when mixing paints.

•    Prepare all of your materials before you start to decorate, that way you are prepared for all situations. You may wish to read my post: how to use a wallpaper stripper for advice on preparing your wall!

•    Ensure you calculate the amount of materials for your job. There is nothing worse than under buying wallpaper and returning to the shop to find they have sold out!

•    Don’t rush the job. Be cautious and  careful - Give each coat of paint some time to dry before reapplying the next coat. This also is a good time to have a break.

•    Keep your work area as clean as possible, and avoid any dust contamination. This can ruin hours of painting work.

•    Try and wear reasonably well fitting cotton clothing. Make sure it is something you don’t mind getting dirty.

Fibres from the wool on your clothing can easily become stuck to the paint, so find yourself some old clothes to work in! When painting a room, it’s often a great idea to finish it with an effect;  some techniques are simple and can be re-created effectively by the average DIY enthusiast.

For example, some stunning effects such as wood graining, stippling, using wood stains and colour washing are techniques that can be achieved with relative ease. There are however, other techniques that require a higher level of skill and practice, such as marbling and other specialist effects !  Whatever effect you want, almost all decorative effects are achieved using some form of  Acrylic glaze, which when added to the paint allows for an extended working time with the paint.

DIY is becoming more and more popular, and painting and decorating is one of the most beginner friendly DIY pursuits. With some patience and planning, even a complete beginner can paint a room to a high standard. Professional painters and decorators can be very expensive to hire, even for a couple of days. The money saved by painting a room yourself can even be spent on furnishing it to complete the appeal of the room.

There are a variety of DIY guides available in the form of magazines, leaflets and especially internet sites. It’s well worth checking out a few of these sources before painting and decorating your own house. They offer superb advice and some websites even allow you to submit personalised questions that are answered by more experienced DIY enthusiasts.

Painting and decorating is definitely worth a try, it can be fun and rewarding, while at the same time saving you literally hundreds of pounds while achieving very similar results to that of a professional! DIY… Give it a try!