Using an old paintbrush, dab the chemical stripper onto the woodwork, and leave it on for a while in order for it to loosen the paint.  You need to check the product packaging for the exact length of time to leave it on the surface.

Using your metal scraper, you should work with the grain to avoid damaging the wood.  Once the paint has been removed you can use warm water or white spirit to help neutralise the chemical paint striper.  You need allow about a day for the area to dry before you repaint over it.

You can use a heat gun on larger areas; the gun should be held about 50 mm away from the painted area and moved from side to side.  You can scrape away the old paint as you move the heat gun.

Always be careful when using heat guns and ensure that you wear goggles to protect your eyes.  Try not to inhale the paint stripper or other chemicals you use during this process, as this may cause serious health issues.  It is best to keep windows open and turn off any heating when stripping off old paint.  When possible, it is advised to take the wood outside to work on it.

If you are using old paintbrushes and rollers, make certain that they are thoroughly clean and dry, and are still in good condition.  Make certain that you cover areas you do not want to paint – such as windowsills or skirting boards – with painter’s tape before you start. 

When using a roller, it is important to get an even amount of paint across the whole surface you are painting, without there being too little or too much paint on any area.  If there is too little paint on the roller there will be gaps in the area that you paint, while if there is too much it will slop all over the wall and may not dry evenly.  If you are going to paint the ceiling, it is worth buying an extension handle for your roller to make the job easier.

A paintbrush should be used to cut in at any edges and corners; this will create a much neater finish and ensure that places that are hard to reach with a roller are painted.  Use steady, firm, and even brushstrokes in one direction along the edges of the wall, so that it does not look messy and unprofessional.

When finished for the day, tightly seal your paint tin to stop it from drying out, and wash any brushes and rollers thoroughly so they do not harden and can be used again.

To thoroughly clean paintbrushes, remove paint by first squeezing the bristles with a rag.  Water based paints may be rinsed under a running tap of slightly warm water.  You should work the bristles with your fingers until water runs clear.  A drop of washing up liquid can speed up this process.

To remove oil based paints use white spirit.  Using rubber gloves to protect your hands, and pour a small amount into a bowl.  Immerse the brush in the white spirit and work the liquid into the bristles so that the paint loosens.  Do this several times until the white spirit remains clear.  When the brush is totally clean, replace the white spirit with soapy, hot water and wash thoroughly.  Finally, rinse the brush out under a warm tap.

Shake the brush to remove excess water then run it gently up and down some newspaper.  Once dry, wrap the brush in several thicknesses of newspaper and place an elastic band around it to retain its shape. It is now ready to store until the next time you require it.

Other Things To Remember

•    Do not stand brushes on their bristles, if possible hang them up when not in use.

•    Proprietary cleaning products are available for removing all types of paint and varnishes from brushes.

•    You can buy specially designed storage boxes that keep brushes moist and workable for long periods.

•    Look out for cleaning attachments that clip onto an electric drill and ‘spin’ out excess paint.

•    Remember to dispose of used cleaning fluids responsibly, taking care they don’t enter the watercourse.

Painting Ceilings

Always paint the ceiling first.  This is because any excess paint will drip down walls you haven’t yet painted, rather than making a mess of walls you have freshly painted.  If you are planning to strip the wallpaper from walls, you should leave it on until the ceiling is painted.  This is because you can strip the paper and the paint drips will just come off with it.  You should paint all ceilings white, no matter what colour you’re going to paint the walls.  Painting ceilings white always makes the room look bigger, brighter, and lighter.

Painting Coving

If the room you’re painting has coving, you should use a good quality brush to paint this.  This should be done after you have painted the rest of the ceiling with a roller.  In some cases, the coving may only need a few touch ups, so go lightly with your painting.

Painting Walls

Walls should be painted using a roller or a paint pad.  This makes the job quicker, and gives a nice even finish to the paint.  You should start at any corner of the room and paint in strips of about 500mm wide from top to bottom.  It is best to try and complete a whole wall at any time, because this leaves a professional even finish across the whole wall. 

Grit or insects in paintwork is a common problem, and results from the wind blowing these onto the wet surface.  This is especially common with outside paintwork, where a perfect finish is hard to achieve.  A compromise must be reached, and sanding back and repainting the usually small area affected will do the trick.  Allow the paint to dry thoroughly and use a dry cloth to brush grit from the surface.

If there has been poor coverage on masonry, creating a patchy effect, the surface simply needs an extra coat of paint.  The patchiness typically occurs when you paint a light colour over a darker colour or when paint has been poorly applied over a rough and uneven surface.

If wood is showing signs of poor paint coverage this is normally caused by not enough coats of paint having been applied, or by not having used a primer on the bare wood.  In that case, the paint needs to be stripped back to the wood and a primer coat applied to take subsequent layers of paint properly.

A durable coat of primer needs to be applied first to take the paint, as severe rust damage can result should water penetrate later on and spread corrosion beneath paintwork adjoining the metal.

You also need to use the proper type of paint.  Resin-based gloss is typically used as a finishing coat, but you have to use the correct primer to avoid chemical reactions.  Use heat-resistant primers and paints for radiators.

Calcium plumbate primer is used for new galvanised surfaces on the exterior and for steel and metal.  Zinc phosphate primer is used for aluminium alloys as well as for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.  Zinc chromate is suitable for other non-ferrous metals as well as for aluminium alloys, indoor iron and steel and for aluminium alloys.  Use red lead primer outdoors for iron and steel, and aluminium spirit-based sealer for bitumen-coated metalwork.

Wipe the surface before starting and apply the primer suited to the particular type of metal.  When the primer has dried rub it with wet and dry abrasive and then apply the undercoat.  Add one or two coats of gloss, rubbing each down when dry.  The backs of pipes will also need to be painted, holding a piece of card behind them to prevent over spraying.

Raise the lower sash to begin with, whilst simultaneously lowering to top one and then paint the lower horizontal rail of the upper sash and other vertical areas of the frame you can reach.  Then, close both sashes but leave a slight gap, allowing you to paint the rest of the upper sash followed by the bottom sash.  Finally, paint the outer frame and allow all paintwork to dry thoroughly before also painting the inner runners.

This is the general game plan for painting sash windows and it is really a matter of common sense, making sure that you paint only the areas you can realistically reach and making sure that you have not just painted adjoining parts of the frames at the same time so that the stick together.

Casement windows have one or more panes that open outwards and if you prop the window open as you paint, as most people understandably do, there is no chance of it becoming stuck in the closed position.  Start by painting the back edge of the sash before painting its face and then the inner side of the frame.  Paint the sill last of all.

Giving your property a new lick of paint can be enough to give it a new and fresh look.  A well-maintained property obviously looks better than one that has not been painted in years.  Painting is one of the most common types of DIY and can be learned relatively easily.  Before starting on a new painting job, it is worth considering the common order in which painting is normally performed.  Planning is always recommended to avoid any time in rectifying mistakes.

Step by Step

If you are painting an entire room, always start with the ceiling; continue with the woodwork, then the walls before finishing the woodwork.  The ceiling can be the most difficult to paint as it is relatively harder to reach.  Use a stepladder and a paint roller as well as large paintbrushes for the edges and corners of the ceiling.

By painting the ceiling first, you minimise the risk of accidental paint spills or sprays onto the walls or woodwork below once they have been painted.

Woodwork can take some time to dry so apply the first coatings once you have finished with the ceiling.  Once the woodwork starts to dry, you can work on the walls.  As with the ceiling, these can be completed relatively quickly as you can use large paint rollers and brushes.  Precision work is called for along the edges and in the corners.

Finish by painting the last coating on the woodwork.

Step One
Make sure the roller frame is very sturdy and hard. This is because you will be constantly applying a lot of pressure to it. It will be worth spending a bit of money on a metallic one that will be stronger than any plastic frame you can buy.

Step Two
Use a big paintbrush to tackle corners and hard to reach areas. Although a roller will drastically cut your painting time, it will not help get to the annoying places.

Step Three
Dip the roller into water before you start painting. This will help the paint to stick to the roller and will be more efficient. Roll the roller in the paint gently and then wipe off so that it does not drip.

Step Four
Apply a coat of paint. Wait for the paint to dry and then repeat the process.

Step Five
Submerge the roller in a bucket full of water or paint stripper. This will clean it thoroughly over a long time and will ensure a clean finish when you use it next.

Step Six
Repeat the entire process for any areas of the house or garage.

Step One
It is important that all of the paint that currently covers the concrete wall is removed. Use a scraper or some paint stripper to do this.

Step Two
Kill the mould that may have formed on the wall and use a cloth to scrub out any stains that are visible. This will prevent the likeliness of bacteria reforming after you have applied the plaster.

Step Three
If it is impossible to remove the paint from the wall or it is a job that will take too long then apply a bonding agent. The agent will help the plaster to stick onto the painted surface. Do this as a last resort.

Step Four
Take the plaster and add water to it until it has formed to the required texture. Make sure you have enough plaster to cover the entire wall and add more as you work if this is required.

Step Five
Apply a first coat of plaster and make sure the layer is around half an inch think. Wait for this to dry and then repeat the plastering process for a second and third coat.