Best method for a novice painter??

pinkpig08

Hi all,
I would like to paint the small bedroom in my house :eek: . It's magnolia at the moment, the plastering is only a couple of years old so is fine. What's the best/easiest method to paint it? I'm not brilliant at painting but don't really want to pay a professional. I've seen a painting set on the tv with flat sponges and a pole - does anyone know if these are any good? Here's the link
http://www.pricecrash.tv/prodDetail.asp?id=15658

Thanks for any advice,
Pinkpig

john175bramley

These painting gadgets come and go but I don't think you can beat the old fashioned method of an ordinary roller and a paint brush. I wouldn't but cheap brushes, get Harris ones or something similar, if you clean them properly they'll last you for years.

Also if you don't fancy cutting in around the skirting\architrave I'd mask all the edges before painting to get a nice crisp finish.

Cool_Mint

I agree with John, ignore all the gadgets and gizmos and buy yourself a couple of cheap rollers (I throw them away rather than waste time washing them) and a decent set of brushes - look after them! A good brush will last almost forever if it is stored and cleaned properly (wrap it in cling film to keep it moist).

Have you decided on a color scheme? If in doubt, paint two walls in a light blue color and two walls in magnolia or barley or something similar - one of those pale orangey colors.

If you're feeling brave you could try "sponging", it's not difficult. Buy a real sea sponge or rip big holes out of a synthetic one and dab on darker and lighter shades of blue (on the blue wall - don't do the other color, blue is easy but other colors not so easy). The trick with sponging is only to use a tiny amount of paint on the sponge.
If it goes wrong you can just slap another coat of blue over it, it's only the first coat of paint that is difficult, it gets much easier with a second or third coat.

Make sure you prepare the walls (wear gloves btw) with sugar soap, it gets rid of all the invisible grease and dust and makes the paint stick better.

Most importantly, if you have carpet in the room, COVER IT! Use protective sheets and newspapers - lots of them; it's easy to throw newspaper away but very hard to remove stains from carpet.

Oh, and don't be lazy, take out all the furniture from the room, don't try to paint around it or you'll make the job harder for yourself.

pinkpig08

Thanks for the replies - 2 walls are going to be baby pink and 2 walls will be hot pink. Might start with the baby pink first! Sorry to sound thick but do you buy sugar soap?
There is just a bed and wardrobe in the room so should be able to move these out (didn't want to ask OH as he thinks we should get a professional but I want to prove him wrong!).
Will see how it goes!

Cool_Mint

You can buy sugar soap at any DIY store, it will probably be in a yellow & red cardboard tin.

turk3y

you can get sugar soap from wicks, homebase or similar, if i remember correctly it looked more like windowcleaner than soap so keep your eyes open, the only thing I would add from my experience is buy some sheeting whilst there as the rollers will spit a little (or mine did) dont put too much on the roller and just take your time. I found thick masking tape worked a treat with making a good edge. I also recomend a kettle (small plastic pot) for when you do the edges as carrying the heavy paint pot round is hard, just tip some paint in (over a cover not carpet) and away you go.

do start with the lighter colour as if you splash the other wall its easier to go over with the darker paint.

if you are redoing the ceiling they do pink paint that dries white so you can see where you have been.

the key to a good finnish is the prep, so fill holes / cracks, sand and clean, then you are ready to go

McAzrael

One more thing; having bought decent brushes also be sure to buy decent paint. It's worth the extra money.

Terrysdelight

My Dad is a pro decorator - old school - everything done properly. I've learnt well from him. The art to a good finish is to thoroughly prepare. Any small holes or cracks in the wall - fill them (polyfiller or tetrion) and then rub down for a nice smooth finish.

My Dad doesn't use masking tape but he's got a very steady hand - sometimes he will use an 'artist brush' to cut in. To avoid going over electric switches, just losen the screws a pull away from wall very slightly.

Also, my dad swears by quality products - decent brushes (as well as paint) - Harrisons are good (guaranteed no loose bristles). Make sure you wash your brushes thoroughly with cold water straight after using (emulsion that is).

welshblob

Having used paint pads it was like pushing the paint around the walls. Personally I would always use a roller for emulsion as you get a uniform professional finish unlike pads and brushes. The one thing I have hated about rollers though is cleaning them as it can be quite messy, you use lots of water and generally you never get all the paint out. So despite replacement rollers only costing a couple of quid I can't stand the idea of throwing them into landfill. So I've invested in the dandy roller and brush cleaner system at a cost of £25 for the complete kit.

http://www.handysolutionsuk.com/Dandy%20Paint%20Brush%20and%20Paint%20Roller%20Cleaners.htm

Its been advertised on QVC a few times and it uses centrifugal forces to spin the paint out of the roller\brushes. You need a drill, bucket of water and a container to catch the excess paint but it can confirm it works 100% with amazing results with the rollers being near dry. The brush cleaner is ok but the brush can fly out if the handle design is different from what its expecting.

For a demo look at ... http://www.pitchwell.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=194

Cheers
Rob

sarah_elton

john175bramley wrote: »

Also if you don't fancy cutting in around the skirting\architrave I'd mask all the edges before painting to get a nice crisp finish.

I find it really fiddly to mask skirting boards and the underside of coving edges.

My preference is paint the walls first. Good old fashioned roller, and paint round the edge - don't worry if you go over the skirting/coving a little. Get a decent make of roller and brush as others have said.

Then, when fully dry, mask round the bottom/top of the wall and paint the coving/skirting boards. It's much, much easier to mask the wall neatly than faff about folding masking tape over little edges of coving/skirting. Use quality masking tape and it won't harm your newly painted walls if you pull it off gently.

Take your time - do painting when you're in the mood and not rushed.