Painting, How Do You Do Yours?

[Meg888]

I've set myself the ginormous task of painting 2 rooms, my (huge) stairwell and all the woodwork in the house - in 5 days!

Can't decide if I should do wood work first/last - ceilings first/last or middle? I'm not the tidiest, though I can paint - I just tend to paint the carpet too and everything else around me despite having everything taped / covered - the paint just climbs under .... :-)

[2sp_]

I do the ceilings first, then the woodwork (the bit I hate the most) and finally the walls.

Good luck with your task! I don't envy you in the slightest!

[Sipowicz]

My Method.
1. Ceilings.
2. Walls.
3. Glossing. (Doors, skirtings windows.)

[Prudie]

I'd definitely do ceilings first, they are the worst and doesn't matter so much about splashes on walls as you are going to paint over them. Then I'd do wood as then when you come to do walls it's far easier to wipe misses off gloss than the other way round. I think you may be expecting a bit much of yourself in that timescale though :-)

[Meg888]

Thanks, I hope I get it done - I've been psyching myself up for weeks, took the time off as I know if I don't have it finished by next Wednesday (back to work thurs), I will not pick up the brush again! Started the bathroom last year, half finished - I'm finishing it on this years project! I am a bit concerned about the stairwell though, I can do some from the top landing and can do some from the bottom floor - but the middle?? I know I need (large) ladders, but a bit worried I will not have the right balance - on the stairs, how do I secure them?

[theshedman]

I always do the preparation to all first then it's ceiling, walls then woodwork as it's the way I was shown to do it by a master decorator many years ago. Take a look at the link below and it gives plenty of info on there.

http://www.diyhowto.co.uk/projects/painting.htm

[mazie]

Same method as Sipowicz for me

[Ken4155]

30 odd years a decorator and i've always done ceilings, walls then woodwork. Unless, of course, the walls are to be papered, then the glossing is done after the ceilings. Above all, the right tools and a certain degree of patience is required.

[Meg888]

Thanks for the tips. Can I ask why the glossing last? just my opinion - as a messy decorator - would be if I slop gloss on a fresh painted wall, it's much harder to remove than the other way round? Or maybe I should just not slop....!

[heathfield]

Glossing second. As Prudie says, you can wipe the emulsion off the gloss when doing the walls last, but you can't wipe the gloss off the emulsion if doing the woodwork last.

[ummmm]

Top to bottom...

[lcg]

you can wipe gloss of stuff (use a damp cloth!). but i would do ceilings, walls the glossing - because i hate all the fiddly glossing, it comes last x

[theshedman]

As in the link I put a proper decorator will always do it the way ken4155 says.

[Prudie]

Probably because a proper decorator doesn't slop or go over the edges by mistake.

[Ken4155]

Yes, but as the proper decorator pointed out, a little patience comes in quite handy. Get your favourite music bouncing off the walls as you paint - it really does help:-)

[tamborine]

Use adjustable handle roller for ceilings & walls, brush for skirting & wood. Better to pay an OOwork bloke; lots need work.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

..as Ken............and never dip the brush into the tin...use a paint kettle or other container.

[giveup]

Get a man in.

[ChillDoubt]

Same as Sipowicz, the reason being you can wipe emulsion spots/drips and spillages off gloss/varnish.
You can't do vice versa, hence it's glossing/varnishing last.

[Prudie]

See that makes no sense to me. You can paint emulsion with a brush along a newly glossed skirting board and be resonably slack, then run a damp cloth along the edge of the skirting board to leave a clean finish line,. You can't wipe gloss off a newly emulsioned wall. We are supposed to be looking at the easiest way for Meg not necessarily how a prefessional would do it.

[Ken4155]

prudie; if your skirting boards are tight to the wall - as they should be - what's to stop you from catching the wall with the damp cloth and wiping the fresh paint off? Which ever you do first, the main thing is to take your time and be patient.

meg888; of course, you must choose whichever method you feel most comfortable with. And i have only just noticed your concern as regards stairs and ladders. I take it you do not possess ladders which adjust for the purpose of working on stairways and, to be honest, i have always used an extension ladder, stepladders and a plank. Tie some cloth over the heads of the extension ladders - so as not to leave any indentations - and lean them against the facing wall. Climb up the ladder to see at what height you will need to position the plank in order to reach the wall/ceiling join. Place stepladders at the top of the stairs and lay the plank across. Get yourself a paint roller bucket for a few quid - don't use a tray - take your time and just be careful. Lower the extension ladder accordingly until you have painted down to a level you can easily reach with extended roller, then remove all obstacles from stairway and continue. And don't forget that music.