Painting Made Easy: All The Essentials and Must-Knows

Painting your house seems simple enough, but without the right tools or knowledge, it can become a laborious task. But you can always count on Kennards Hire to help you put a plan in place before your first brushstroke. The trusted equipment experts at Kennards Hire have put together a list of essentials and need-to-knows when giving your home a fresh coat of paint so you can achieve the desired result.

Prep Before You Paint

Before you begin to transform your walls, ensure they’re clean by removing bits of peeling paint or excess residue - and if old layers of paint need to be stripped away, hire a paint burner to make things easier. Take out any screws to fill the cracks with plaster and sand them down so they’re ready to be painted over. Once all the prep is done, start taping up power points and around window sills or door frames for a crisp paint job.

To Prime Or Not To Prime

Before you get to the painting, work out if you’ll need to apply an undercoat. A sealer, primer or undercoat is often needed if you’re working on new walls, ones that have recently been repaired and filled, or whenever you want to paint a lighter colour over an existing dark colour. With your walls primed, it’s guaranteed that your fresh coat of paint will be nice and even, and last twice as long.

Choosing A Colour

There’s no doubt that browsing colour swatches is overwhelming, with so many possible tones and shades, it can be hard to make a decision. But before you skip to the hard part, figure out how much paint you’ll need. Typically, 1L of paint will roughly cover 16sqm of surface - keep in mind it’s always better to have a little excess than to not have enough.

When it finally comes to choosing a colour, remember to consider viewing the swatches throughout different times of the day and under various lighting. Bear in mind that the colour of the paint will change depending on the light, the direction of the sun and changing weather conditions. Paint tends to look different once it dries - flat paint will appear slightly lighter, whereas semi-gloss and gloss coats will dry a little darker.

The Essentials

Using the right tools for the job will make a huge difference in making your home look like it’s been painted by a pro, instead of just a quick weekend DIY. Since painting isn’t a task you can just start and pause halfway, the team at Kennards Hire can help you find the equipment you need to take this DIY to the next level.

Don’t forget the essentials like: tape, drop cloths, paint trays, rollers, brushes and a step ladder. But what do you do when a step ladder just isn’t enough anymore? For exteriors that require extra reach, consider hiring a scissor lift to work safely - trying to paint while balancing on a ladder and holding a paint tray is never a good idea! For small areas that need a fresh coat of paint, you could even use a spray gun to get the job done in no time.

Paint Like A Pro

Before you start, if your paint has been purchased in multiple tins, pour into a large bucket so the colour is consistent before adding to your paint tray. The number 1 trick is to paint from top to bottom so you smooth out any drips as you go. If you’re painting indoors, make sure there’s enough ventilation to allow the paint to easily dry. And if you’re outdoors, check the weather beforehand - a clear, sunny day with no wind is ideal.

With these tips, you can count on Kennards to help you upgrade from ‘weekend DIY warrior’ to pro status and get the job done quickly and easily!