Single and sanding polyfilla for the foreseeable
(14 hard won painting tips for DIYers)
Back in 2016, ancient history really, my relationship imploded and I moved back in with my parents. I loved where I had been living very much and as grateful as I was to be able to return to family given the circs, I missed all the things that felt like home dearly.
Presumably my glum mood was pervasive and after a while my parents suggested something to take my mind of things. Something practical, achievable and useful: would I help them redecorate?
I sank hours into preparing the walls and the woodwork at my parents’ house. As the daughter of a practical, details orientated man, taking shortcuts during the preparation phase wasn’t an option available to me. I was constantly redirected to the flaky crack I was yet to unpick or encouraged to try sanding that bit over there back again. Oh woe was me dear reader. Single and unhappily sanding polyfilla for the foreseeable. What painting purgatory was this?
I’ll give it to them, having a focus, using my hands and feeling helpful all started to nudge my overall mood in the right direction. And I learnt a lot about painting and its power to transform a space.
During the in between days after Christmas I redecorated our bedroom in a brownish colour; I’ve been hankering for something a bit warmer in there. More on that another time. Anyway, as I rollered I reflected. So here’s what I would recommend if you’re about to paint (and no I won’t tell anyone if you’re slapping it on and skipping the prep part #yolo…)
Read number 14 if nothing else:
You need to invest in a good cutting in brush. Cutting in is essentially drawing round everything in the room that can’t be painted by a roller. All your nooks, crannies, sockets, ceiling line. The brush needs to be on the medium/small side, think 2 inch width max, flexible and with decent bristles. In other words, don’t get the cheapest one at Homebase. Besides prep, cutting in is the most time consuming bit of painting
Get a paint colour you like from the brand that suits your budget, don’t bother trying to match it
It will always take you a day longer than you think and yes, it is worth getting a complimentary white for your ceiling should you be using a brand that offers one
Ceiling, walls, woodwork
When you cut in the walls, if you’re right handed work from left to right along the wall or vice versa
Cutting in ahead of the first coat is the trickiest and needs time and patience. Load your brush with paint, make contact with the wall below your ceiling line and then drag the paint up to the meeting point before going along. Do this each time so you can create a crisp line, starting underneath where you’ve just got up to. Don’t get it on the ceiling
Get your eye in first on a wall you’re not going to lie in bed looking at wondering just how much coffee you had before needing a steady hand
Use frog tape if you don’t fancy cutting in. Just make sure the paint it’s getting pressed on to is completely dry
Don’t forget to give the paint a really good mix so the colour is consistent before you use it
Loosen the face plates of switches and sockets so you’ve got a little bit of room to paint around them and avoid any smearing
Remember rollers tend to splatter
Lay foil in your paint tray to speed up cleaning
In between days, you can wrap a brush and roller that has been soaked in paint tightly in foil and save yourself from having to wash and dry it. A small but joyful win
If you have any doubt ANY DOUBT in your mind about the colour it will manifest when you’ve cut in the first coat before you’ve rollered the wall. Your old colour will try and crowd out the new one. The outline you’ve painted will be drying at different speeds around the room and you’ll check the tin for the name of the colour. A dark colour will appear darker at this stage. DO NOT GIVE UP! Just you wait until you’ve got the whole wall on and the whole room done. You will feel differently, I promise.
I could go on but I won’t. 14 things about painting is absolutely enough. Right?
S