CREATE A RAINBOW ARC

For our dreamy design, we have used soft pastels that work beautifully together, and will brighten up your child’s room just in time for spring!

  1. Paint the wall in a soft white and measure how far across the wall the arc will go. Cut string to this length.
  2. Tie chalk to one end of the string and a drawing pin to the other.
  3. Pin the string to one corner of the wall, pull tight and use as a guide for the arc. Move the chalk from the corner edge, down to the skirting.
  4. Shorten the string in segments for each arc.
  5. Paint each arc of the rainbow in a different colour.
  6. Draw and paint fluffy white clouds at the end of the rainbow with a sponge

Painting Tips: Preparing Walls for Painting.

With our DIY tips, preparing walls for painting is easy and gives your decorating project the perfect finish. Discover easy surface prep and painting tips.

Painting is one of those things that looks easier than it is and, unfortunately you only discover this after trial and error. We’re here to take the ‘error’ part out of it for you, with tips that make preparing walls for painting a breeze. With easy surface prep, the right tools and some insider know-how, you’ll feel like a professional in those painting overalls before you know it.

Choosing your paint brushes

It’s important to consider the type of bristle, in terms of the coat that you’re applying and the job that needs completing. The first of 2 choices, synthetic bristles are hard wearing and last up to 5 times longer than natural brushes. As they don’t absorb large amounts of water, they don’t swell up and cause tramlines to appear in the paint. Therefore they produce a fine finish on all water-based paints.

A natural bristle brush has a structure that allows it to take and hold paint. The split ends of the natural bristle brushes help towards a fine finish with traditional solvent paints. However, they don’t perform well with water-based paints. Lastly, choosing the right sized brush is easy. The larger the area, the larger the brush needs to be. For cutting in on walls, use a 2″ or 3″ brush. A 1″ or 2″ brush gives you more flexibility for painting doors, skirting boards and architraves.

Using the best type of roller.

When you’re painting the ceiling or large wall surfaces, rollers are the ideal choice as they’re quick and easy to use. Just like brushes, it’s best to choose a roller that’s most suited to the type of paint you’re using. Basically, foam, mohair and sheepskin rollers come in short, medium and long pile.

A short-pile mohair roller is suitable for applying silk emulsion, while a medium-pile sheepskin roller is best for matt emulsion. Short pile is the choice for very fine or flat surfaces. To avoid air bubbles in the paint film, don’t use spongy foam rollers with normal emulsion paints. Before you use it, don’t forget to wash the roller in warm, soapy water to eliminate any fluff.

Picking the right paint.

Choosing the right type of paint comes down to the results you’re looking for and the surface you’re painting. To hide imperfections, use velvety matt emulsion. Satin an silk are mid-sheen finishes that look slightly polished and reflect some light. Eggshell sits somewhere between the 2, with a surface that looks as it’s name suggests. For a shiny look that reflects lots of light, choose a gloss finish.

Selecting a filler

Before preparing walls for painting, buy a filler that’s up to the task of covering those cracks in the wall. Choose flexible Gap for around the tops of skirtings, windows and door frames. Quick drying filler gets the job done fast and it’s great for walls and woodwork. Multi-Purpose filler is suitable for all surfaces in your home. You’ll also find specific products for hairline cracks, screw holes and anything else that might get in the way of your perfect finish.

Preparing walls for painting.

Now that you’ve got your tools, easy surface prep starts with a clean, blank canvas. Remove any nails or screws. Then, wash the walls thoroughly with sugar soap and rinse them with clean water to remove any residue. Next, fill holes and cracks with filler and let it dry. To achieve a smooth surface, lightly sand the walls using medium or fine grit paper. This ensures your fresh, new paint will adhere to the surface properly.

Painting after wallpaper removal.

Once you have finished scraping the wallpaper off, it’s important to thoroughly wash the area to remove all the old paste. While the surface is still damp, fill in any holes and cracks with filler and sand down.

Painting in the right order.

Now it’s time to pick up your brush or roller! Start at the top of the room and work your way down. Apply 2 coats emulsion to ceiling before moving on to walls, working away from natural light. Paint window frames in the morning, so they have a full day to dry before you close them at night. Lastly finish off with doors, door frames and skirting.

Though painting is not as easy as it looks, all you need to do is follow the right painting tips towards a professional finish to be proud of! ……………Pop along to the Paint Shop Clydebank to find a wide range of paints & products to suit your needs.