A lot of money can be saved by doing decorating jobs yourself. The cost of having painting, papering and wall-covering jobs done is high and with the proper tools and techniques the home handyman can do excellent work. It is a useful exercise to estimate the cost of materials for a decorating job and to compare this cost with a tradesman’s fee. The saving is considerable. And doing your own decorating will give you the satisfaction of having beautified and increased the value of your home.
Two kinds of paint are commonly used indoors; emulsion, which can be thinned with water and oil-base paint which is thinned with white spirit. Both types contain pigments which are held together by various forms of synthetic resins. In oil-base paints, the resin binder is dissolved in solvent which enables a very smooth, even coat to be applied.
The large range of paints available can be confusing. Many of the different names such as alkyds, vinyl, acrylic, copolymer and polyurethane are simply descriptions of the binders or additives which give each paint its individual quality. These qualities are important in making a selection.
Prices vary according to the quality of paint. The easiest type of paint for the beginner to apply is non-drip jelly paint which contain additives which make it almost gelatinous. Large quantities of this thixotropic paint can be picked up on the brush without dripping. Once applied it spreads easily and often one coat of this paint will cover as well as two coats of ordinary paint. Thixotropic paint does not need to be stirred and it should not be thinned. Both emulsion and oil-base paints are available in this jelly form.
Other oil-base paints can be difficult to apply as drips must be smoothed repeatedly to create an even surface. If possible, position work to be painted with oil-base paint horizontally to minimise dripping. Oil-base paints are available in several finishes; gloss, semi-gloss, which is often called eggshell or lustre, and matt. Surfaces to be painted with oil-base paints must first be primed and, if gloss paint is used, an undercoat is necessary. It is advisable to paint a surface already painted with gloss with oil-base paint.
Emulsion paints are more pleasant to use as spills and drips can be cleaned up with water and there is less odour. But emulsion is not suitable for woodwork except if used as an undercoat for oil-base paint. Emulsion paints are available in matt, satin or sheen finish.
Matt finishes are generally favoured for walls and ceilings. Because of their high pigment content they tend to be better, litre for litre than gloss, for covering over old colours. The high resin content of gloss makes it stronger than emulsion and easier to clean. For these reasons it is ideal for woodwork.
A primer is necessary to cover unpainted surfaces which are either new or have been stripped. The type of primer used depends on the type of material being painted, whether it is
wood, plaster or metal. There are all-purpose primers available which can be used on any surface. Undercoats are used to cover previous sound coats of paint before applying the final new coat.
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