On the Job

Now all the preparation has been done, it’s time to get painting!

When painting in the sections near the floor or ceiling, use a smaller handheld paintbrush and keep your hand steady. (Of course, you can always put down masking tape to protect these areas.) It is often a good idea to do this first as it determines the area that you need to paint with the roller.

When painting large areas, it’s best to use a roller. A roller is time efficient and is easy to use. A great technique that professionals use is the ‘W’ technique. This technique involves starting in a corner of the room and rolling on a 3ftx3ft ‘W’ pattern, then fill in the gaps without lifting the roller off the wall. This ensures an even spread of paint. Continue in sections until you are finished.

If your job is going to take longer than one day, then you need to ensure that your equipment is stored correctly. A great idea is to clean off any excess paint off your brushes and wrap them in cling film. This ensures that no air will get to the paint, and this means that it won’t dry overnight. Pro tip: When resealing paint (once the lid is securely sealed on the tin), tip the paint bucket upside down for a few seconds and then back. This will create a seal of paint around the seem on the inside of the tin. This will stop a skin forming on the paint and will slightly increase it’s shelf life.