DIY Supermarket

Painting and decorating may seem a simple business, ranking far lower than plastering, but to get optimal results you need to know some essential tricks of the trade. It may not be rocket science, and you don’t need the knowledge of architects and advanced craftsmen in the building trade, but it is an essential feature of everything from simple DIY to full-scale property development. If it’s done badly, everything gets dragged down with it. Done well, it’s a major visual component of a dramatic property facelift.

Woodwork in particular needs special attention. Wash down dirty old paintwork with soapy water and fill in cracks and holes with wood filler. Knots should be coated with knotting compound to stop discolouring resin from seeping out. Critically, take meticulous care in getting rid of flaking paint – use a filler knife, or preferably an electric sander to blitz it, or it’ll curl up and form nasty edges beneath the new paint. Seal bare wood with wood primer – it won’t delay things too much because today’s products dry very quickly.

If your topcoat requires an undercoat, now is the time to apply it – and let it dry. Next, get to work with the topcoat itself. This can be extraordinarily satisfying: use only the top third of the brush and apply with smooth, light, upward strokes. Spread the paint horizontally, and finish the brushwork off by applying the paint along the grain of the wood. Work methodically, one panel at a time, say, on a door – and don’t be tempted to take a tea break before an area is completed, because it’ll leave a line!