Painting quickly - which tools

oldskoo1

We are looking to paint a house we should be moving into soon.

Condition of walls is good, some rooms have feature wallpaper walls.

I'm basically looking for tips/tricks and tools we can buy that will get the job done quickly. We are having to pay a little more to get the house so paying someone to decorate might not be possible. Painting is easy but a bit time consuming and tedious. We are prepared to pay extra for better rollers, brushes and paint so we get one coat coverage and quality rollers for first time application.

Cutting in is the most tedious for me. Are there any decent edge rollers that won't bleed paint, any tips and better brushes we could use.

I don't want to skimp on cost and get diluted paint, b&q value rollers etc... Don't mind paying extra for tools, providing they might make the job a bit easier and quicker.

Is there such tools to speed up the job?

Also do you think we could paint over the wallpaper? My parent paid extra for apparently quality paint, applied over wallpaper and you would never know.

cattie

I always use a decent roller & an angled good quality brush for cutting in. I did once try a roller with an edge that was supposed to let you get right up to the frame/edge, but found it pretty rubbish.

I always go for a brand paint & if you are looking for one coat, then I know Dulux do Once, which I have used.

If the wallpaper looks sound & hasn't a sheen on it, then it possibly is fine to paint over. Best thing to do is a test area, leave it to dry & see what you think about it.

Tr1pp

ok 1st off get masking tape, this will help a great deal with cutting in and covering your skirting board and ceilings when painting the walls, I initially used the blue decorating tape but I could not get it to stick to anything. Dont apply the masking tape too firm as it may tear off what the paint/paper it is stuck too.

I bought a couple of cheap rollers and they did the job perfect for me, more expensive ones may hold more paint for each application but i couldnt say. I also bought a foam roller and found this to be amazing when painting large areas with gloss paint, it will give a slightly different finish than if you use a brush but if you want to cover large areas fast you cant go wrong with one. unfortunatley you cant use a roller for cutting in as they bleed by nature of their design.

regarding paint, I have heard that one coat paint never really works convincingly unless its painted on an already white wall. you also need to decide if you want matt or silk paint. I cant advise on silk paints as i dont like them but for matt you cant go wrong with crown or dulux. they are kind of the middle ground in paint terms but ive never had to use more than 2 coats to get a solid coverage, the more expensive paints do have a larger the range of colours but id imagine you would still be using two coats to get solid coverage. As far as white is concerned I have bought a pricier 'brilliant white' in the past but now use the large trade brilliant white paints at half the price for more and you cant tell the difference (for matt white anyway)

I wouldnt recommend painting over patterned wallpaper, it will take a day or 2 to remove and replace with lining paper and is really cheap to do, but if you have not live with it not me

Brushes, YES buy a good quality brush, dont go nuts but they are worth it to not have to constantly pick out bristles from the paint or to avoid bristle lines in gloss paint. I spent about £7 on each of my brushes, I cant remember what bristle type they were (probably synthetic but a nice and soft synthetic), im sure someone else can advise you on a good brand

colli

I found spending money on a roller with a nice grippy handle well worth the extra few quid as it's easier & nicer to hold and you really appreciate that if you're doing a lot of painting. Though I appreciate that may sound a bit girlie . Have painted over lots of wallpaper and it looks ok-ish. I can certainly live with it until I've got the money to get someone in to plaster and it's a lot better than it was before. If your walls are in decent nick though it may be worth biting the bullet and getting the paper off, steamers are great apparently.

mallymal

Just remember how long you will spend sitting looking at your newly renovated house.

imho.... QUICK PAINTING = POOR QUALITY!

So bite the bullet... take your time, even if you find it tedious, and when it's done, you'll pat yourself on the back every time you walk into a room.

BTW... Extension pole for rollers is very handy for ceilings and high section of walls.

Good luck and enjoy your new home

bob_a_builder

BTW... Extension pole for rollers is very handy for ceilings and high section of walls.

definite +1 on that point

oldskoo1

Thanks all

I think we will strip the wallpaper off for a clean finish. It's probably worth it.

I think a decent cutting in brush is worth it this time. I'm ok at cutting in, because i want it to look perfect it takes ages as I'm slow but the brush might help.

Thanks

Omar_Little

I'm not a professional decorator but am a well seasoned DIYer who can work to a high standard in most areas of home improvement.

Like you, I feel that it is false economy to skimp on the quality of materials, paint in particular. One point that should not be overlooked is the time spent on preparation. I usually have a ratio of around 65% preparation & 35% painting which includes sanding (paintwork), cleaning with sugar soap and then rinsing off afterwards.

I also agree with the suggestions for the roller with an extending arm. On top of that I would buy a delta (triangular) sander with a velcro hooked face. These, and the sander discs that can be used with them, can be purchased at a very good price from Ebay these days.