DIY for Dummies
-
- Posts: 27332
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
- Location: London
DIY for Dummies
Please ask your own basic DIY questions here as mine is too short to be deserving of its own thread.
I am painting the living room this weekend (and prepping it NOW). Three walls will be white, one wall will be dark bluey-grey (like everyone else's, I know, sshh) and the woodwork (picture rails, coving, shelving, fireplace surround, all of which abut the dark wall) will be white. What order is it best to do this in and where should my initial masking tape go? (my other rooms have had less abrupt changes of colour so it's been less of an issue).
I am painting the living room this weekend (and prepping it NOW). Three walls will be white, one wall will be dark bluey-grey (like everyone else's, I know, sshh) and the woodwork (picture rails, coving, shelving, fireplace surround, all of which abut the dark wall) will be white. What order is it best to do this in and where should my initial masking tape go? (my other rooms have had less abrupt changes of colour so it's been less of an issue).
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
- Marth
- Posts: 46740
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:11 am
- Location: London - but not by the sea. Nowhere near it in fact.
Re: DIY for Dummies
Dark wall, white walls, (wiping the woodwork as you go for roller spray) woodwork.
Malan - We are not Slum People
- Marth
- Posts: 46740
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:11 am
- Location: London - but not by the sea. Nowhere near it in fact.
Re: DIY for Dummies
Dark wall, white walls, (wiping the woodwork as you go for roller spray) woodwork.
Malan - We are not Slum People
- Marth
- Posts: 46740
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:11 am
- Location: London - but not by the sea. Nowhere near it in fact.
Re: DIY for Dummies
You don't need masking tape. Of if you use it get a very light "tack" so it doesn't pull paint off.
Malan - We are not Slum People
-
- Posts: 27332
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
- Location: London
Re: DIY for Dummies
Thank you so much! (I have good masking tape that doesn't pull paint off, have painted the bathroom, loo and kitchen in the past few weeks but all white so not that important, but it is tried and tested at least )
I kind of wanted to do the exciting wall first so I'm glad that's the proper way.
I kind of wanted to do the exciting wall first so I'm glad that's the proper way.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
- Marth
- Posts: 46740
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:11 am
- Location: London - but not by the sea. Nowhere near it in fact.
-
- Posts: 27332
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
- Location: London
Re: DIY for Dummies
Oh god, everyone's standards are too high.
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents
- Hobbes
- Posts: 8416
- Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:07 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
I would personally do the light walls first, then you don’t need to be too careful around the accent wall, as the dark paint will cover it up, but not the other way round.
Consider does the ceiling need doing? Sometimes fresh paint can make the ceiling look dingy, and it needs to be done before the walls.
When doing the walls, slightly undo any light switch & electric point covers, so you can paint slightly behind them for a neat finish. You can use a straight line edger if you like to get a neat line in the accent wall, but my tip is to use a small cheap artist brush for the initial cutting in, then a normal small paintbrush, then your roller. Depends how steady you think your hand will be though!
If you are glossing the woodwork after then I wouldn’t bother masking, just give them a quick sand before painting, but any paint mistakes will be covered up anyway.
Consider does the ceiling need doing? Sometimes fresh paint can make the ceiling look dingy, and it needs to be done before the walls.
When doing the walls, slightly undo any light switch & electric point covers, so you can paint slightly behind them for a neat finish. You can use a straight line edger if you like to get a neat line in the accent wall, but my tip is to use a small cheap artist brush for the initial cutting in, then a normal small paintbrush, then your roller. Depends how steady you think your hand will be though!
If you are glossing the woodwork after then I wouldn’t bother masking, just give them a quick sand before painting, but any paint mistakes will be covered up anyway.
Last edited by Hobbes on Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Princess Morripov
- Posts: 34306
- Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:30 am
- Location: Ruler of The Kingdom of Morripovia
Re: DIY for Dummies
I would do the light walls first as it’s be easier cutting in the dark colour over the white than the other way round.
- Skips
- Posts: 13630
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:52 am
Re: DIY for Dummies
I would do it the same way as Hobbes, I'm doing the same in my bedroom at the moment (or at least over a few weekends).
Which masking tape do you have? I need something better and I can't do it freehand.
Which masking tape do you have? I need something better and I can't do it freehand.
-
- Posts: 5076
- Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:16 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
Just to be awkward, I always do woodwork first, then emulsion (thinking that emulsion is easier to clean off gloss/eggshell than it is the other way round).
- cluefree
- Posts: 22509
- Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:27 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
Yes, sand everything first, Hoover the fuck out of it all then I would do ceiling, white walls, dark walls, woodwork. I do woodwork last because it takes the longest to dry. I’ve never masked things but just been careful when cutting in.
- Cosmopolitan
- Posts: 16970
- Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:49 pm
- Location: Brizzle
Re: DIY for Dummies
I also never masking tape things but did buy a dulux cutting in brush and its probably the best thing I've ever bought on a DIY front.
- Skips
- Posts: 13630
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:52 am
Re: DIY for Dummies
I am so shit at cutting in no matter how hard I try.
I do the woodwork last for the same reason as cluef. Although I kind of wish I'd done the first coat when we were doing the ceilings.
I do the woodwork last for the same reason as cluef. Although I kind of wish I'd done the first coat when we were doing the ceilings.
-
- Posts: 50192
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 11:28 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
Definitely Frog Tape, Skips, I say this as I class myself an expert now I've painted my kitchen. It really is decent stuff though. Don't get an excessively wide one.
- Hobbes
- Posts: 8416
- Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:07 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
I do too, it’s satisfying!
I’ve never heard of a cutting in brush though, I will investigate, thanks Cos.
- Shoe
- Posts: 50509
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 10:54 am
- Location: Online
Re: DIY for Dummies
I have a DIY question, if I may jump in?
Am I silly to be considering laying tiles on the floor myself? It's a small vestibule porch area.
Has anyone laid floor tiles, is it the sort of thing I shouldn't consider trying myself?
Am I silly to be considering laying tiles on the floor myself? It's a small vestibule porch area.
Has anyone laid floor tiles, is it the sort of thing I shouldn't consider trying myself?
-
- Posts: 5076
- Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:16 pm
Re: DIY for Dummies
Ceramic tiles, Shoe, or karndean type? I would 100% give it a go. YouTube is brilliant for how to videos - I bet there are loads on laying floors.
- Skips
- Posts: 13630
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:52 am
Re: DIY for Dummies
I did my own porch, the grouting isn't great but I don't think it looks that bad and I wish I'd got a grout smoother (I used my finger). (The porch needs a mop).
-
- Posts: 27332
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:14 pm
- Location: London
Re: DIY for Dummies
Thank you all! Though now I am back to square one about the order to paint in, you have all raised the questions I was asking myself, all of which do not lead to a clear conclusion.
I do have to do the ceiling for sure (I learnt this in the kitchen, bathroom and loo, they couldn't be left) and actually now I'm thinking that given that I'll then have the white paint out and on the roller it's probably logistically easier to do the white walls after. I hate painting the ceiling so much.
One thing is that the areas where the dark wall meet the white wall will be barely visible due to shelving, once things are back on the shelves, but the areas where the dark wall meets the woodwork (coving, picture rail, fireplace, skirting board, built in shelves) will be really, really visible so getting that part right is probably the priority. Not that I'm ok with having to hide shit paintwork with books, but you see what I mean.
Excellent tip on the light switch etc, I'd never have considered that. Though actually they've been clumsily painted around so many times that we're probably past the point of saving them.
The prep work is a ballache as everything has been done so badly. I need to smooth off the plaster and repair in some parts (I've done this a lot in the past few weeks so that's ok, and I am now a fan of proper plaster and hate that polycell bullshit which is definitely not easier), and some of the woodwork wasn't properly prepped last time* and is just flaking off as I sand so has to go right back.
* quite possibly by me, I can't rememeber
I do have to do the ceiling for sure (I learnt this in the kitchen, bathroom and loo, they couldn't be left) and actually now I'm thinking that given that I'll then have the white paint out and on the roller it's probably logistically easier to do the white walls after. I hate painting the ceiling so much.
One thing is that the areas where the dark wall meet the white wall will be barely visible due to shelving, once things are back on the shelves, but the areas where the dark wall meets the woodwork (coving, picture rail, fireplace, skirting board, built in shelves) will be really, really visible so getting that part right is probably the priority. Not that I'm ok with having to hide shit paintwork with books, but you see what I mean.
Excellent tip on the light switch etc, I'd never have considered that. Though actually they've been clumsily painted around so many times that we're probably past the point of saving them.
The prep work is a ballache as everything has been done so badly. I need to smooth off the plaster and repair in some parts (I've done this a lot in the past few weeks so that's ok, and I am now a fan of proper plaster and hate that polycell bullshit which is definitely not easier), and some of the woodwork wasn't properly prepped last time* and is just flaking off as I sand so has to go right back.
* quite possibly by me, I can't rememeber
Protected by the ejaculation of serpents