Painting

BEFORE you start painting, it's important to ensure that you have the right tools on hand and you've made the necessary preparations for the room and the paint. This is to ensure a hassle-free job from the start to finish with smooth and long-lasting results.

1. Preparing The Tools

Before you start painting, it is important to equip yourself with all the right tools. This will save you time and create better results.

Necessary Tape

* Masking tape : To protect the edges of areas you don's want to paint like switches, frames, etc.

* Sandpaper : To smooth uneven surfaces.

* Covers : Newspapers or cloth, to protect your furniture or floor from paint.

* Filler : To patch up cracks or holes in walls.

* Scraper : To remove old and peeling paint.

Painting Tools

* Brushes and rollers: Rollers are for painting large surfaces quickly and easily. Brushes are good for the painting on windows, doors, frames and corners.

* Extension poles : For hard to reach places like ceilings.

* Paint trays : To store paint and coat rollers evenly.

* Ladder : For reaching high places.

* Comfortable clothes : To proctect your body from paint splatters.

* Protective gear : Gloves, goggles, cap, and overalls to protect hands, eyes, head and body.

Cleaning The Tools

* Rags : To wipe paint spills and to clean brushes.

* Container : To soak brushes, rollers, etc, and to hold other odds and ends.

* Thinner : To clean brushes if an oil-based paint such as Nippon 9000 Gloss, Finish/Odourlite Gloss or Finish/Odourlite Soft Matt Finish is used.

2. Preparing The Room Four steps before painting

* Always inspect the surface before painting and rectify defects for a smoother and more lasting finish.

* Holes and cracks: Patch them with a filler and sand the patched area down.

* Rough spots: Sand them off using finegrade sandpaper.

* Dimples: Fill up the dimples, caused by popped nails, with a filler.

* Loose paint: Scrape them away with a scraper and sand down the edges.

3. Preparing The Paint

* Reading the label on the paint can: The labels contain relevant information such as suitable surfaces for the paint and time required between recoats and so on.

* Stirring: Ready-mixed paints should always be stirred thoroughly before use. Make sure the soft deposit at the bottom of the can is stirred until the colour is even.

* Loading the brush: Dip only a third of the bristles into the paint. Gently remove any excess paint.