Painting our new house

While any fool can paint, a fool who uses their eyes will do a better job. Decent paint and tools (which don't cost a lot more than the cheap c**p sold by Homebase etc) make it so much easier. I use Benjamin Moore paint most of the time which is very expensive compared to b&q Dulux but saves me hours, looks better and is almost a pleasure to use. As a result I earn more and spend less time working.
OP - treat yourself to at least one decent brush (Purdy or Corona) and a roller sleeve and find out why they are so worth the money.
 
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stevewestern said:
I earn most of my money painting so know a little about it.. Go to a local decorating shop, do not buy paint from a shed (b&q etc). Buy decent brushes and roller covers. The job is already half done. Dilute the first coat by about 10-15% and then apply it as evenly as you can - don't rush. This will give make the second coat easy. Cut in with your 2 or 3 inch brush first, then roll keeping a wet edge - should take about an hour and a half to do a room, and the second coat can go on 2/3 hours later. A quick sand on the woodwork then wipe with meths to degrease then apply whatever water-based paint your shop sells - Johnstones is good, Dulux is rarely used by many tradesmen due to recent mistakes they have made but their diamond satin is ok. If it was me doing it I would use a bridging primer (Zinsser 123) then 2 coats of satin. Again a small splash of water helps it flow - you will be able to feel when it is right. Lots of good advice in previous replies (Nods tip about cling film in particular) If you want to ask me anything pm me - I am driving home after a long week away working but will reply later today if I can.
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Thanks for taking the time to post. Looks like some pretty good hints and tips. Will certainly take your advice on board (y).
 
Try your local Dulux or Crorwn trade centre. In my experience they know what they are talking about and offer good advice and sell decent paint.
 
boogie man said:
Listen to @stevewestern people, he really knows what he's talking about when it comes to painting. I got some invaluable advice from him before that has saved me lots of time, money and backache. :ty:
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Yes , some pretty good advice, pretty decent of him :).
 
boogie man said:
Listen to @stevewestern people, he really knows what he's talking about when it comes to painting. I got some invaluable advice from him before that has saved me lots of time, money and backache. :ty:
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Yes. I could pretty much make that exact same post ;)

One thing I only learnt quite recently, a 1 3/4" roller sleeve is a lot faster than a 1 1/2". And if you stick a 3 foot broom handle in the end of your roller and gaffer tape it in place you'll save yourself a lot of climbing.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yes. I could pretty much make that exact same post ;)

One thing I only learnt quite recently, a 1 3/4" roller sleeve is a lot faster than a 1 1/2". And if you stick a 3 foot broom handle in the end of your roller and gaffer tape it in place you'll save yourself a lot of climbing.
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... and a roller pole is even better and may not cost much more...
 
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Having moved into our current house nearly 4 years ago that "could do with a lick of paint here and there" and then within the first 3 weeks of living there, every room apart from the kitchen, bathroom and box room were re-painted :lol:

Thankfully the wife was up for magnolia everywhere which made life easier. The local B&Q always seem to have an offer on Crown 10L white and magnolia (usually around £25-£30 for 2 10L tubs) which seems to cover well.

The previous owners of the house had turned the dining room into a play room and the walls were painted medium blue and "x-box" green, that took at least 4 coats to cover.

The hall, stairs and landing had been painted Simpsons yellow (over textured wall paper) and that took several coats to lose the sunshine glow :lol: I had to re-paint this again at the weekend as it seems steam from the bathroom kept re-activating the wallpaper paste leaving dark marks around the top 2-3ft of the landing walls. I've now used Zinsser Bulls Eye 3-2-1 to seal the paper so hopefully that problem will go away now.

Going against the advise above...... I used B&Q's Colour one coat satin on the woodwork. OK the finish could be better but I don't have the time/skill/patience (mainly skill) to be undercoating then painting again.

I can't offer you any advice in terms of technique, unfortunately as I detest decorating (massive understatement) but just wanted to with you luck in your endeavors :)
 
DorsetDude said:
I'll just leave this here...

View attachment 75353
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Likewise I will leave this here equally as inspiration for what to do once you have painted! :D
naf_cards25_1024x1024.png
 
I started the painting yesterday, going slower than I expected. I am not going to post the results, I hate painting. I started painting about 7pm, and I finished one room by about 2.30.am. I did a few hours more this afternoon, I am sore.
On here for a break, going to do a bit more after, and come on here between breaks.

Just having another look at the room, and I must say, looks good for me :).
 
jonbeeza said:
I started the painting yesterday, going slower than I expected. I am not going to post the results, I hate painting. I started painting about 7pm, and I finished one room by about 2.30.am. I did a few hours more this afternoon, I am sore.
On here for a break, going to do a bit more after, and come on here between breaks.

Just having another look at the room, and I must say, looks good for me :).
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It is a repetitive job, so some good music helps, as does resigning yourself to a few hours of zen-like mental blankness (suits me, as I don't have a lot or grey matter left to occupy !)
Trying to concentrate on the job is a good thing, as it can give a better result and also helps the time pass.
As for being sore - it shouldn't be hard work, especially if rolling, so maybe your paint is a little tight, which a splash of water will help with.

Finally, if it looks good enough for you then that all that matters - don't forget that the paint will look better once dry (and if you get the furniture back in fast no-one will see those bits that looked a little patchy to you...)
 
Finished the painting last night, and it took me six days to do five rooms. Pretty good going for me, a non painter who hates painting.
Got the paint from Wilco, as a family member had money on their store card. They got us some Wilco silk emulsion, it went on very badly, and I would not use that again. They also got us some Crown and Dulux, Silk emulsions, both were nice to use, and the finish looks good :).
 
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jonbeeza said:
Finished the painting last night, and it took me six days to do five rooms. Pretty good going for me, a non painter who hates painting.
Got the paint from Wilco, as a family member had money on their store card. They got us some Wilco silk emulsion, it went on very badly, and I would not use that again. They also got us some Crown and Dulux, Silk emulsions, both were nice to use, and the finish looks good :).
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Most own brand paint is rubbish tbh and it's a false economy. As you've discovered you either end up doing lots of coats to get some decent coverage or eventually buying something better to do the job properly. If you want to save money, Leyland Trade isn't bad but there's only a limited range of colours.
 
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