DIY for Dummies

Mountain Goat
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DIY for Dummies

Post by Mountain Goat »

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).
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Marth
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Marth »

Dark wall, white walls, (wiping the woodwork as you go for roller spray) woodwork.
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Marth »

Dark wall, white walls, (wiping the woodwork as you go for roller spray) woodwork.
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Marth »

You don't need masking tape. Of if you use it get a very light "tack" so it doesn't pull paint off.
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Mountain Goat »

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. :lol:
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Marth
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Marth »

We will need a before and after :))
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Mountain Goat »

Oh god, everyone's standards are too high. :))
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Hobbes
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Hobbes »

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.
Last edited by Hobbes on Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Princess Morripov
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Princess Morripov »

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.
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Skips
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Skips »

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.
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Mayday »

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).
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cluefree
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by cluefree »

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.
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Cosmopolitan
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Cosmopolitan »

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.
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Skips
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Skips »

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.
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Disco »

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.
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Hobbes
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Hobbes »

Beatrix wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:54 am Sounds counter intuitive but using a big brush can be easier for cutting in, although I do like an angled cutting in brush. I actually love the cutting in bit, I'd do it for you if that wasn't weird :lol:
I do too, it’s satisfying! :lol:

I’ve never heard of a cutting in brush though, I will investigate, thanks Cos.
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Shoe
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Shoe »

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?
Mayday
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Mayday »

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.
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Skips
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Skips »

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).
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Re: DIY for Dummies

Post by Mountain Goat »

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. :panic:

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 :lol:
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