Tag: painting

Top house painting ideas

Want to paint like a pro? Now you can with these simple house painting ideas.

Top house painting ideas

Found the motivation for a spot of painting but not exactly sure where to start? With a few ideas from our painting services crew,  get ready to smock up and get started.

Painting colour ideas

So many colours, so little space..

Other than deciding whether to get handyman help, colour choice is one of the toughest decisions you will make when painting.

Here’s how to nail the perfect colour….

From the outside in

architectural design, architecture, brick wall

The exterior of your home will make or break your entire colour scheme. A well-executed exterior will add curb appeal to your home and offer long-term return on investment.

  1. Highlight any architectural features like roof lines, gutters and doors. You can use various shades of the one colour, or mix it up using darker shades against lighter colours of paint
  2. Use your existing landscape and driveway as colour choice inspiration
  3. Fences help to frame the view of your home and cannot be ignored when selecting your colour scheme. Use a similar colour to the exterior of your home for painting your fence

Interior colours

Ensure your interior colours blend with those you have chosen for the exterior. It’s important to have a seamless colour transition from outside to inside, and from one room to the next.

General colour ideas

Dark walls have the potential to make a room appear smaller, whilst light colours have the opposite effect.

Some ideas that can counteract these perceptions are:

  1. Dark walls with lighter trims make a room appear bigger
  2. Light walls with darker trims make a room more intimate or homely
    Cool colours in a large space can make a room look clinical. Just add some natural elements to the area like timber or textured linens.

Feng shui

Traditional feng shui principles have been used for centuries with colour selections. These ideas might provide some inspiration for you too.

Bedroom colours

  • Blue for calmness
  • Green for healing and renewal
  • Pink for warmth and energy

Living room colours

Both yin and yang colours should be used to balance a living area. For example:

  • Blue, grey, and black for soothing and peacefulness
  • Red or yellow represent an energetic vibe

Bathroom colours

Popular bathroom colours include blue, grey, white and lavender for a sense of relaxation to ease the mind

Painting preparation

Get the most out of your time and effort. Prepare your area for painting before you even pick up a brush.

  1. Remove light fittings and bag any that cannot be removed (e.g. large chandeliers, etc.).
  2. Tape over power outlets and light switches.
  3. Clean and dry the painting surface thoroughly – remove any cracked paint, repair dents, cracks, etc.
  4. Always prime before painting a topcoat.

Ideas while you are painting

These ideas will create a seamless painting process for you.

  1. Never wash your brushes out between coats. Simply seal them in a zip lock bag. If they are too large, put the brush head in a plastic bag then seal it tight with a rubber band
  2. Keep a damp rag with you to dab up any accidental paint dribbles or splashes immediately. Dampen the rag with whichever solvent is appropriate for the paint you are using
  3. Don’t cut in too far in advance. Applying paint to a dried area produces overlap stripes and you will undo all of your good work
    A sash brush has bristles cut on an angle and will save you having to tape before cutting in.

These painting ideas make the planning process easier. But if you don’t have the time – find painting help on Airtasker instead.

Tips for preparing your home for painting

Ready for a DIY paint job? Check out our tips on preparing your home before you start.

Tips for preparing your home for painting

There’s nothing better than a fresh lick of paint to revitalise a room. A paint job is also one of the quickest ways to increase the value of your home. Before you get started though, make sure you’ve done the proper prep work. A vital step often missed before painting without any handyman help is adequate preparation.

If you don’t put in the necessary prep work, you could end up exerting more effort than required.

There’s more to painting than just colour selection and painting tools. Like most handyman services, you need to follow some planning fundamentals before picking up a paintbrush and getting stuck in.

Check the weather forecast

Paint takes much longer to dry when there is humidity or moisture in the air. Avoid wet weather, and choose a dry and warm day to get your paintwork done.

Prepare a painting greenroom

Set up an area close to where you’re painting as a staging and prep station. Use this area to store your paints and tools, fill your painting trays and pots, and do all the necessary cleaning up.

Have your cleaning solutions, spare trays, buckets, water, and plenty of spare rags and drop sheets ready. A table and chairs will also be useful for prepping paint (and for a much needed break!).

Painting preparation

Head to a nearby charity shop for a card table and folding chairs. You can use these in your prep station to avoid further mess and spillage.

Move your furniture away

Find a temporary storage area to relocate your furniture to while you paint. This will give you more space to paint with ease, and means less objects to potentially trip over. You’ll also save your furniture from any accidental splashes. Large furnishings that are harder to move can be covered with old sheets or plastic.

Check for existing flaws

Flaking or chipped paint needs to be scraped and sanded before applying a fresh coat. Investigate any cracks in your walls to ensure there is no water seepage problems before refining with a plaster and sanding process.

Prepare for the finer details

Masking tape painting guide

If you’re not savvy with cutting in, use masking tape as a protective barrier on cornices and skirting before you paint.

Cover around the edge of light switches and power points with masking tape, and remove any bulky light fittings before painting.

Protect the area

Avoid any paint spills or splashes by applying canvas drop sheets to the floor.

If you’re on the lookout for how much does home exterior painting cost, check out our home exterior painting price guide.

Try before you buy

Paint colours

Before you splash out on a huge tin of paint, buy a small pot to trial first. Paint generally looks different once applied, and you might find you want to change the colour up a little once you see it on the walls. Trialling on a small area gives you the chance to change your mind before any huge investments (and lots of wasted paint!).

Once you’ve settled on a colour, you’ll need to measure the area so you know how much to buy.

Not up for painting yourself? Airtasker’s handyman services in London could offer just the helping hand you need.

How to paint window frames and door frames

Painting doors and window frames can be tricky if you're not a professional painter. Read on for some expert tips.

How to paint window frames and door frames

Painting window doors and frames is seen by many to be the toughest part of the painting process. So if you’re struggling with this, don’t worry – everyone else is too! Patience and a steady hand definitely help, but there are tips and tricks that you can can use to make window and door painting a lot easier and quicker.

Here’s our guide on how to paint window frames and door frames like a professional painter decorator.

Proper painting preparation

First things first, kick off by putting the proper prep work in. Cleaning and preparing your windows is an absolute must if you want to achieve a flawless finish. To start, remove all curtains and fixtures to make the painting process easier and save yourself a lengthy clean up post-paint.

To clean any spiderwebs and dust, use your favourite cleaning solution. This will help you achieve a sparking clean surface to paint on.

Remember to clean the top of the window sill, an area where a lot of dust tends to accumulate.

Finally, it’s time to lay down drop sheets (old bed sheets will do!) under the frame so you don’t spill any paint on the floor.

Masking tape

Masking tape is essential for painting windows and door frames where you’re using two different colours. To achieve truly smooth lines for windows, put masking tape on both the wall and also the glass before starting.

To get straight edges when you line the tape up, push the edges down where the paint will meet the tape. For corners, use a knife to tear the tape for a perfect seal.

 When removing the masking tape afterwards, rip off slowly at an angle before the paint completely dries up. Otherwise you may accidentally rip off some paint too.

If there are any larger parts you need to paint around which can’t be removed, use paper towels to cover and tape to hold it in place.

Filling in and patching

Every paint job can get worn and torn over time. For any scratches, apply a bit of filler with a putty knife to fill in the hole. Use a damp cloth to remove any excess and help to give it a smooth surface – and less sanding!

Brushes and painting

Now for the fun part – it’s time to get stuck into the actual painting. Grab an angled paintbrush and dip it halfway into the paint (you don’t need a lot of on your brush) and then tap it on the bucket.

Paintbrushes and paint

When you begin painting, start with the area closest to the glass first and work your way out. This helps to prevent any accidental smudging as you paint. After you’ve finished the inside, paint the frame that faces the room.

Depending on the type of paint and the old colour, you may need multiple coats for a smooth finish.

Cleaning up

Time for the not so fun part. Remove the masking tape slowly before the paint has completely dried. If it’s already dry, have a knife handy to help cut away the tape without peeling off any of your beautiful paintwork.

Pack up your drop sheets, clean your brushes, and store any unused paint and brushes for future touch-ups or your next painting task!

Do you have any tips for window and door frame painting? Let us know in the comment section below. 

Looking for assistance with painting projects or general home repair? Connect to a number of people offering expert painting decorator services in London today.

How to clean a paintbrush

Painting like a boss but not fond of the final clean-up? We have the paintbrush cleaning hacks you need.

How to clean a paintbrush

When it comes time for a DIY project, many of us find ourselves making like a local painter slathering and splashing with a paintbrush or two. It is a messy job but painting is so tempting to get stuck into.

After a hard day on the tools, your masterpiece is complete and the last thing you want to do is clean your paintbrushes. We’ve all been here before – you wrap your brush in plastic only to find it sets as hard as nails before you remember to clean it, then kick yourself in the proverbial for dodging the task in the first place.

Big brush or small brush – we have it covered. Our paintbrush cleaning hacks make cleaning easier and can bring new life to hardened brushes about to be ditched. These hacks are that easy you will look like a professional handyman in no time!

 

Cleaning your paintbrushes will help with their longevity

How to clean a paintbrush

Follow these steps as soon as you finish painting.

  1. Scrape any excess paint back into the paint tin – you can use the rim of the tin for this
  2. Work whatever is left on the brush onto some newspaper
  3. Mix a quarter cup of fabric softener with 4 cups of warm water into a bucket, then swish your brush around the mixture and use your hands to work the paint out of the bristles
  4. Take the brush out and spin it in a pail, removing any paint and water
  5. Rinse the brush again in a bucket of clean water, then repeat the spin and another rinse in clean water
  6. Dry the brush by giving it one last spin
  7. Your paintbrush is now ready to store

* Tip: if you are using an oil-based paint, you will need to use a paint thinner for steps 3 and 5 before washing your brush out in soapy water followed by clean water. Be careful you don’t splash the thinner onto surrounding furniture or items.

How to bring life back to a paintbrush

This method is great to use for brushes with paint that has hardened over time. It is chemical-free and you don’t need to be an expert painter to master it.

Don’t ditch your old paintbrushes, try bringing them back to life
  1. Pour enough vinegar into a pot to cover the bristles of your paintbrush
  2. Leave your brush in the vinegar and bring it to the boil on the stovetop, then simmer for a few minutes
  3. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool
  4. Take the brush out of the vinegar and once cool enough to touch, comb the bristles with your fingers. You will notice the paint start to crumble as you continue to comb it through
  5. Rinse the paintbrush in cold water – we suggest using a bowl of water rather than flushing the paint down your sink
  6. Depending on how long your brush has been left unattended, you might need to repeat these steps a couple of times

* Tip: if you don’t like the aroma of vinegar, cover the simmering pot with a lid.

If you follow these tips above you will have a paintbrush that can well outlast the length of a Kim Kardashian marriage.

Not a fan of painting? Don’t forget you could just hire an Airtasker painter to help you out then!