DIY Interior painting

Without a doubt painting the interior of your home can improve the look dramatically, paints are available in thousands of different shades and colours.  Choosing the correct paint for the particular surface will greatly increase the success of the finished project.

There are several different paints that we are going to look at:

Undercoat
Undercoat is a oil based paint which contains lots of pigment to cover the item being painted, it is used on wood or metal as a base coat before Glossing, sometimes two coats of Undercoat are required if the first coat does not cover the item being painted adequately, tools must be cleaned with white spirit or turpentine substitute.

Gloss
Gloss paint is also oil based and comes in a few different variables, there is standard liquid gloss which I believe gives the best finish, non drip gloss which is a jelly like paint which resists runs and one coat gloss which contains more pigment than the other two and allegedly needs only one coat. I prefer liquid gloss, as the one coat gloss normally does not always cover in one coat. As with Undercoat the tools need cleaning in white spirit afterwards.

Emulsion
Emulsion paint is water based and is the easiest paint to apply, the odour is nowhere near as bad as gloss or mat and it is very easy to get a good coverage with great results. Unlike gloss or undercoat brush marks will not be left behind. Often it is advisable to prime a new wall that has never been painted with some emulsion mixed with a little PVA bonding, this stops the paint from being absorbed by the plaster so it makes the emulsion cover a far larger area, costing less money! Two of my friends recently painted the stairway of the house below (which is three story’s high), I purchased a good quality emulsion paint which claimed to cover in one coat and surprisingly to my disbelief it did cover in one coat.

You can see that the stairway is in dire need of painting. The walls covered with one coat of Emulsion using a paint pad and a brush for cutting in. The banister and spindles were a little more tricky and required two coats of undercoat and a single coat of Liquid Gloss. Thanks to my two friends for painting the stairway as it released me to work on the kitchen.

Kitchen and bathroom paint
Special emulsion paint is available for use in areas where a room is likely to have a steamy atmosphere. This semi-porous paint absorbs moisture and allows it to evaporate as the air-dries. This paint is great, as it does not go moldy due to condensation as normal emulsion could do! If painting over a surface, which is already, stained use a stain blocker first before painting.

Textured paint
Textured paint is very thick paint often contains silicon sand, there is one type, which resembles Artex. This can be applied with a textured roller, which gives a good effect. The beauty of textured paint is that it can be used to cover very uneven surfaces and will cover walls, which would need skimming with plaster if regular emulsion paint was to be used.

Courtesy of Ultimatehandyman.co.uk

DIY Exterior painting

The outside appearance of your house can be improved dramatically with a good application of paint, but before painting it is best to assess if replacement is more economically viable than painting!

Plastic rainwater down pipes for instance are difficult to paint as you need to prepare the surface, undercoat then apply the top coat of paint. This is very time consuming and replacing a down pipe is often far easier, cheaper and looks far better, some manufacturers make them in the following colours - Black, Brown and Grey.

The picture below was from the last house that I renovated, you can see that the vent on the soil pipe reaches above the level of the roof which is a three storey house, this would make painting it very difficult. I opted for replacing the vent section of the stack with an air admittance valve and then painted the other section to the floor.

Some wood work can be covered with PVC profiling, this should be done where possible as it removes the need for periodic painting, PVC comes in several colours now, mainly white but you can normally get Mahogany or Oak, new colours are being produced all the time so check with your local Distributor.

On the front of this house I did a combination of painting and PVC cladding, in most cases it is far easier and quicker to clad with PVC rather than paint!

Here you can see that the wood work has not been painted for some considerable time, If the wood is rotten it is best to replace it but if it is sound you can merely clad over it.

The apex was removed as it was rotten and replaced with PVC, Taurus skirting board made from PVC was used for effect on the front. There were gaps where the windows met the walls of the property so PVC cloaking profile was cut to fit and held in place with silicone.

Weather forecast
Before doing any outside work it is always a good idea to check the weather forecast and plan the work for a suitable day. Never paint wood when wet as it will soon blister and look terrible. Before working at heights please read the section on ladder safety.

Painting walls
Brick walls do not normally need painting, they look far better if they are cleaned and treated with a good quality waterproofing solution. The wall can normally be cleaned by brushing with a stiff brush, be sure to wear goggles and a dust mask as particles will fly everywhere. If it is a small wall it would be far easier to use a pressure washer and some specialist brick cleaning/patio cleaning solution. DO NOT USE A PRESSURE WASHER ON A LADDER! If any pointing becomes loose or drops out see re-pointing. Remove any mould with a scraper and treat with a fungicide, then rinse it off the next day.

If the wall has been rendered and cracks have appeared they will need filling before painting, paint some PVA bonding into the cracks as this will help the filler to stick.

If the cracks are fine I recommend using a special exterior filler but if they are more than say 2mm mortar would probably be best. If the wall is chalky or powdery it will need sealing first with a stabilising solution.

Choose your paint wisely
Ever heard the expression " you get what you pay for"?

Although there are many different Paint manufacturers, some are better than others, the only time I ever visit the Large do it yourself stores is to purchase paint, not because they are cheap but because they stock the best brands. The difference between a good paint and not so good paint is evident when you come to use it. Some of the best manufacturers make One coat emulsion and surprisingly it does cover most colours in one coat, the cheaper versions which claim to be one coat generally need 2 or 3 coats- false economy I believe.

Before painting the masonry it is best to prepare any woodwork such as windows or doors first. Most wood can be painted over by slightly sanding it with some sand paper and then giving it a wipe with a rag with a little white spirit on it. If the existing paint has bubbled it will need removing, this is best done with a electric hot hair gun and a scraper, these guns strip paint for fun. KEEP IT WELL AWAY FROM THE GLASS AS THERMAL SHOCK CAN BREAK THE GLASS! If any of the wood is rotten but not enough of it to warrant replacing the whole window it is best to remove all of the rotten wood and purchase a wood repair kit

Replace any missing putty which is sealing the window or if large gaps between the window and walls appear you can cover these with PVC cloaking profile by sticking them in place with silicone.

Don't kid yourself!
Know your limitations, if you are a sloppy painter and get it all over yourself and splatter everything make sure you mask an items that don't need painting and place a dust sheet on the ground incase of any drops. If you are capable and don't splat everything in sight you don't need to mask surrounding areas. I suggest either a 4 inch or 6 inch masonry brush.

If you are applying rough masonry paint then the special brush is advised. It is easiest to start painting at the top of a wall and work your way down wards. Apply a good even coat and ensure not to overload the brush, brush the paint out in all directions to ensure you don't get lines in the paint. A paint kettle is advised as it is a lot easier to hold especially as masonry paint normally comes in 5 litre tins!

Painting, painting and more painting
After painting the walls you can paint the woodwork, ensure the wood is dry before painting. The amount of time you spend preparing the woodwork the better the final finish will be, It is best to give 2 coats of undercoat and a coat of gloss. One coat gloss and undercoat should be avoided as the results are not satisfactory for outside! If you are a sloppy painter it is a good idea to mask around the windows, or use a paint guard. Personally I prefer to take my time and not use any such implements as they are too time consuming, It is far easier to take your time and practice cutting in by holding the brush at the appropriate angle.

Courtesy of Ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Removing paint

Try and think of a worse job than removing wall paper and removing paint will probably spring to mind. This can be a very tedious and at times soul destroying job, but if you are insistent on removing the paint then here is my advice on the subject.

Warning
Paint found in buildings built before 1960 could possibly contain lead, although lots of people used to lick our cots that were painted with lead paints and although we have drunk water that has passed through lead pipes, we should, if possible, avoid inhaling or ingesting lead or paint containing lead!

Paint containing lead
Lead can make you very ill as I once found out, at an early age I loved playing with lead as it is so malleable. We had had some work done on the roof and the roofers left some Lead lying around on the floor and I thought I would entertain myself by bashing the Lead into small lumps with my hammer. Unfortunately I must have had a cut or something and developed Lead poisoning, which means staying in hospital for a few days. It's not very pleasant and can cause Brain damage especially to children so don't take any chances or you might end up like me!

Special kits which test for lead in paints are available but I have never used one. I normally air on the side of caution and assume that the paint does contain lead!

What not to do
Things not to do when removing paint

1. Burn off the paint with a blowtorch as this produces Lead fumes.

2. Sand the paint either by hand or with a power sander as this will spread the lead dust all over the property.

3. Vacuum the removed paint as lead particles will pass through the filter into the atmosphere.

NOTE: If you find that you must remove the paint then use a chemical paint stripper.

Basic economics and common sense
Before attempting to remove any paint from a object it is often a good idea to think about replacement of the object especially if you are paying someone! Obviously if you have a period home and wish to keep the character then you have not much choice in the matter but with newer properties replacement is often the best choice and is often cheaper in the long run. Having stripped paint in the past I now refuse to do it as I hate it with a passion and I am a firm believer in the principle that if it has been painted previously then paint it again, rather than stripping it!

For stripping paint you normally only have two choices, either remove the paint by causing it to bubble away from the surface underneath by applying heat or a chemical paint remover. If you are removing paint from stone then you could of course get it sandblasted.

Hot air
If you decide to remove the paint with heat then a electric heat gun is preferred over a blow torch due to safety reasons, try telling your insurance company that your house burnt down because you set fire to it whilst using a blow torch and it is unlikely that they will pay out! You are going to need a good quality scraper and a pair if goggles as paint particles often fly off in all directions. Hold the heat gun close to the paint until the paint bubbles then remove the paint with the scraper, this is often not easy and some paints do not bubble at all and simply makes a mess of the paint and makes it difficult to remove. Dust sheets are needed as it is extremely difficult to remove from carpets etc.

Chemical strippers
Paint strippers contain chemicals that loosen paint from surfaces. These chemicals can harm you if not used properly. Some paint stripping chemicals can irritate the skin and eyes, or cause headaches, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, or loss of coordination. Some may cause cancer, reproductive problems, or damage of the liver, kidney, or brain. Others catch fire easily. Proper handling and use of paint strippers will reduce your exposure to these chemicals and lessen your health risk. Follow the manufacturers instructions and wear good quality suitable gloves and goggles.

Courtesy of Ultimatehandyman.co.uk