So, your walls are in desperate need of repainting. You’re tired of looking at the flaking vibrant beige the previous tenants coated the walls in but you’re unsure as to how to go about painting your walls. Look no further and stress less when renovating your home thanks to this easy-to-follow guide that will take you through each step of the painting process as well as advice about precautions, preparation, and paint selection.

In an ideal world, the same type of paint could be used in every room inside your home. But, realistically, it’s one of the worst things you could do when decorating. Naturally, there are significant differences from room to room and, as you might expect, different areas of the home require different types of paint due to differences in lighting, activity, and microclimates.

When it comes to picking paint for your interior walls, colour is typically at the forefront of your mind over texture and composition. It is important to bear in mind that these are equally important. If you want to get the most out of painting your home, you must first understand the various paint choices and what they can provide for your walls (other than beautiful colouring).

Redecorating your home is a big commitment, it reflects your personality and is something that should be considered with the utmost importance. Follow this guide to ensure your home gets a professional standard interior coating. After all, there’s no place like home.

There are several varieties of plywood available for various purposes. It is important to establish the different types so that you can understand which is the most beneficial for your project. Knowing these varieties and their recommended usage is a valuable tool. The below table documents different plywood types, as well as their varying uses.

You’ve decided on your paint type, and your colour, but how much should you buy? There’s nothing worse than not buying enough paint, especially when you then go to finish the job and the colour is out of stock. Similarly, buying too much can be a hassle - turning your shed into a paint storage unit.

Worry no more. This easy step-by-step guide for deciding how much paint to buy will save you all that trouble, and more.

Measure Your Room

1.      Make note of the height, and width of any surface you’re wanting to paint

2.      Multiply the height by width to get the square metre measurement for your room

3.      Repeat this step for any doors, windows and wall fitted fixtures that cannot be removed and subtract it from your total square metre measurement

4.      Jot down this figure for later

Account for Coats

5.      Multiply the above figure by the number of coats. For instance, if you need two coats multiply the figure by 2

The Great Divide

6.      Lastly, divide the figure by the square metre per litre provided on the product information either on the tin or online

7.      You now have the answer for how much paint to buy

Now that you’ve measured your room and figured out how much paint you need to buy, you’re almost ready to start painting – almost. Painting a room can be a time-consuming task, that’s why it's all the more important to plan ahead. All you need to do to speed up the painting process is move away your furniture, cover the floor, and restore your walls. Oh, and before you begin painting over a dark colour, add a coat of primer.

1. Remove All Furniture from the Room

If you don't have enough space to move furniture, build a stack in the centre of the room you're painting and cover it with plastic.

2. Remove All Wall Decorations from the Room

Remove picture frames and other decorations from your walls and keep them in a safe place. Remove any nails that protrude from your wall with the back of a claw hammer.

If there is lighting on the wall or ceiling, remove it or protect it with plastic and tape to shield it while you paint.

3. Remove/Protect All Outlet Covers

Unscrew and cover all of your outlet covers. Remove the covers around your outlets and switches with a flathead screwdriver. Keep the plates and screws in little plastic bags to avoid losing them. To protect the exposed outlets, wrap them with decorator’s tape.

We strongly advise spending the extra time to thoroughly prepare your walls for painting, as this will provide a longer-lasting, professional-quality finish. Whichever substrate your walls are made of, they must be dry and free of grease and defects. Now you can begin to prime and prepare your walls for painting without worrying about causing any damage to your belongings.

1. How to Repair Any Damage on Your Walls

Begin by plugging any holes or dents in the wall with spackle; for nail holes, just take a little amount of spackle and massage it into the hole with your finger. To patch bigger holes, dip the tip of a filling/putty knife into the spackle and spread it thinly across the wall surface. Allow the spackle to dry for the time specified. Unfilled holes that will be reused should be avoided.

2. How to Sand Down Your Walls

Before you begin sanding your walls, make sure you're wearing a face mask to avoid inhaling any of the paint dust. Ensure that all surfaces are flat. If your property was constructed before 1980, conduct a lead paint test; if the test results are positive, call a professional decorator for guidance.

3. How to Clean Your Walls

In most cases, a simple solution of warm water and mild dish soap will serve to clean your walls. Just make sure your walls are thoroughly dry before painting.

Providing that all necessary repairs have been completed, the surface is dry, and the walls/ceilings are structurally sound, it is best to start from the top and work your way down. We recommend that before any painting, all surfaces are appropriately primed and that any wall fixtures are securely covered to achieve a professional level finish.

Decorator tape is extremely useful when decorating- as you work your way through each section, outline it in decorator tape and then peel and remove it once the desired section is dry before moving on to the next section.

1. How to Paint Your Ceiling

Use a brush to outline your ceiling. Then proceed to coat with either a roller or a brush, making sure your strokes are thick and even. You will likely need a ladder to get this done, so make sure to follow all relevant safety guidelines and have someone else on hand to hold the ladder steady.

2. How to Paint Your Walls

Again, use a brush to outline your wall and then proceed with either a roller or a brush, making sure your strokes are thick and even.

3. How to Paint Your Windows & Doors

A simple steady layer of brushstrokes is all that is needed here. Just remember to leave a suitable time in-between coats to let your paint dry.

4. How to Paint Your Skirting Boards

Seal and sand any cracks before taping off the area where the wall reaches the skirting. Apply two coats of woodwork paint, leaving each to dry in between.

Our biggest piece of advice when you are painting is to ensure that you correct any mistakes made whilst the paint is wet- if you try to amend any mistakes after your paint has cured it will be harder to shift. A wet cloth will do the job perfectly in most cases.

Whilst this may seem like an easy enough concept to get right, there is a right way to hold a paintbrush. Essentially, you want to be holding your paintbrush like you would a pen.

1. Grip the paintbrush loosely enough to avoid dropping it, but not too tightly. The more rigidly you grip your brush, the more fatigued you will get.

2. Dip the brush approximately a half inch into the paint.

3. Swipe the paintbrush end against the side of the can to remove any residual paint.

4. Pull the brush, never push the brush forward as this may harm the bristles and ruin your paint finish.

If you need to take a break from your painting, put your brush in a plastic bag or a dampened paper towel to prevent the paint from hardening on the brush. You won't have to wash your brush every time you want to take a break. Just don't leave it for too long or it'll dry out regardless.

Before using your brush, dampen it slightly. This prevents the paint from drying in between the bristles while you work.

At the end of the day, painting your home can be an effortless, even enjoyable job but only when paired with the correct knowledge and tools. The best thing that you can do to achieve a professional level finish is to apply these key steps:

1. Repair any wall damage.
2. Prime/ clean your walls.
3. Cut your edges.
4. Use a dragging motion when painting your walls.
5. Always paint in natural light to ensure full coverage.
6. Always leave enough time to cure.

Allow at least 24 hours for your brand-new wall to fully dry. Keep your brushes in excellent shape by cleaning them before storing them.

Looking for more inspiration? Take a look at our wide range of product and project guides - covering an array of subjects from garden renovations to painting and decorating, installing stunning lighting set-ups to building out a kitchen or bathroom from scratch and much, much more. Take the leap today and start your DIY journey right here. For direct help and advice, you can also contact our award-winning customer service team.