Application.
Should I paint the walls or the ceiling first?
Ceiling first, every time. You paint top-down so any splatter or roller spray lands on surfaces you haven't finished yet, then you cut in cleanly at the wall-to-ceiling line once the ceiling's dry.
How many coats of paint do I need?
Two coats over a properly primed surface is the standard for almost every job. Plan for three with strong colours, going lighter over dark, or covering bare or patchy substrates.
Why won't my touch-ups blend in?
Touch-ups flash because the new paint has a slightly different sheen, thickness and age than the surrounding wall — it's almost never a colour mismatch. The fix is to feather it thin and, where possible, re-coat the whole wall corner to corner.
What is a mist coat and when do I need one?
A mist coat is a watered-down first coat of emulsion that seals fresh plaster so your topcoats bond properly. You need one whenever you're painting bare, new plaster for the first time.
How do I get a really smooth finish on woodwork?
A smooth finish is 80% prep and 20% paint. Sand between every coat, dust off properly, and use a quality water-based trim paint laid off in long, light strokes with a good synthetic brush.
Why is my paint peeling and how do I fix it?
Paint peels because it never bonded properly — usually down to moisture, a dirty or glossy surface, or skipping primer. To fix it you scrape back to a sound edge, sort the underlying cause, prime, then repaint.
How long after plastering can I paint?
Wait until the plaster is fully dry — typically 1 to 2 weeks for a skim, 4 to 6 weeks or more for a full replaster, and longer in cold or damp conditions. Then seal it with a watered-down mist coat before your topcoat.
How do I stop stains bleeding through paint?
Seal the stain with a dedicated stain-blocking primer before you topcoat — a water-based emulsion alone will never hold it back. Zinsser BIN (shellac) is the gold standard for the worst offenders.
How do I paint tiles?
Yes, you can paint tiles — but the prep is everything. Degrease, abrade the glaze, prime with a tile-grabbing primer like Zinsser BIN, then topcoat. Skip the prep and it'll peel within months.
How do I paint kitchen cabinets?
Clean hard, degloss with a sand, prime with a sticky bonding primer, then apply two thin coats of a proper cabinet-grade paint. Prep is 80% of the job — skip it and the finish will chip within months.
How do I paint a radiator?
Turn the radiator off and let it go cold, clean and key the surface, prime any bare metal, then apply two thin coats of a heat-resistant or water-based satin. Modern formulas don't yellow — the old days of radiators going custard-coloured are over.
How do I match an existing paint colour?
Take a clean sample of the existing paint to a decorating merchant for spectrophotometer matching, or — far better — find out the original colour name and buy it again. A scanned match is never perfect, so the original always wins.
Can I paint over wallpaper?
You can, but in most cases you shouldn't — stripping is nearly always the better job. Only paint over wallpaper if it's woodchip or lining paper that's firmly stuck and you've sealed it first.
How long should I wait between coats?
For modern water-based emulsions, wait 2-4 hours between coats; oil-based and some heritage finishes need longer — anywhere from 6 to 16 hours. Always check the tin, because temperature and humidity move those numbers around.
How do I stop knots showing through paint?
Seal every knot with a shellac-based primer like Zinsser BIN before you go anywhere near topcoat. Ordinary primers and undercoats won't hold back resin bleed — only shellac reliably locks knots down for good.
How do I paint woodwork and trim?
Prep is everything: clean, sand to a key, fill, prime any bare or knotty wood, then two thin coats of a proper trim paint with a light sand between. Rushing the prep is why most trim ends up patchy.
How do I paint over old gloss?
Key, clean and prime. Sand the old gloss to a dull finish, wash off the dust and grease, then prime with a good adhesion primer before your topcoat — skip any of those steps and the new paint will peel.
How do I paint MDF so it doesn't soak up the paint?
Seal the MDF first with a solvent-based primer like Zinsser Cover Stain or BIN, paying special attention to the cut edges, then topcoat as normal. The bare, porous edges are what drink your paint, so they need extra attention.
Why is my paint patchy and how do I fix it?
Patchy paint nearly always comes down to inconsistent coverage, skimping on coats, or painting over a dodgy surface — most often a wall that needed a primer or mist coat first. Fix it by sorting the substrate, then applying two full, even coats with a quality roller.
Why is my paint cracking or flaking?
Cracking and flaking almost always comes down to a poor bond — paint over a dirty, glossy or unstable surface, or topcoats applied incompatibly (water-based over solvent-based without a primer). Fix the prep and the surface, not the paint.
How do I prep a wall before painting?
Clean it, fill any holes, sand smooth, spot-prime bare or repaired patches, then dust off. Skip the prep and even the best paint will sulk — flashing, peeling and a patchy finish are all down to poor preparation.
How do I paint garden furniture?
Strip back any flaking finish, sand to a key, prime bare wood or metal, then use an exterior-grade paint or eggshell — two thin coats, with the right primer doing most of the heavy lifting.
How do I avoid roller marks?
Keep a wet edge, don't overspread the paint, and use the right nap roller for your surface. Most roller marks come from working too dry, overloading, or going back over paint that's already started to set.
Do I need to prime before painting over a darker colour?
You don't always need a dedicated primer, but you do need a barrier of some kind — either a tinted undercoat, a grey primer, or simply more coats of your topcoat. Going light over dark is about coverage and opacity, not chemistry.
Do I need to prime bare plaster?
Bare plaster doesn't need a dedicated primer — it needs a mist coat, which is your emulsion thinned with water to seal the surface. Skip it and your topcoat will peel or flash.
How do I get rid of mould before painting?
Kill the mould with a proper fungicidal wash, let it dry fully, then prime with a stain-blocker before painting. Never paint straight over it — it'll come back through within weeks.
Can I paint in cold or humid weather?
Avoid painting below 10°C or above about 85% humidity — paint won't cure properly and you'll get poor adhesion, patchy sheen, and cracking. For most water-based paints the sweet spot is 12–22°C with good ventilation.
Brush, roller or spray — which should I use?
Roller the big flat areas, cut in with a brush, and only reach for a sprayer when you want a factory-flat finish on doors, cabinets or trim. For most jobs, brush plus roller does everything you need.
How do I cut in neatly?
Use a good angled sash brush, load it properly, and lay off a few millimetres from the edge before pushing the bristles into the line in one steady pass. It's about brush control and a wet edge — not masking tape.
How long should eggshell cure before wiping it down?
Eggshell is touch-dry in 2–4 hours and recoatable in 16–24 hours, but it won't fully cure for 2–4 weeks — wipe it down before then and you risk marking or dulling the finish permanently.