Application.
How do I paint ceiling?
Cut in the edges with a brush first, then roll the main field in slightly overlapping strokes while the cut-in is still wet, working away from the window in one direction. Two coats of a dedicated matt ceiling paint will give you the cleanest finish.
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.
How do I paint skirting boards?
Clean and sand the skirting, fill any gaps, prime bare or glossy wood, then apply two thin coats of eggshell or satinwood. Caulk the top edge before painting for a crisp join with the wall.
How do I paint radiator?
Turn the radiator off and let it cool, clean and key the surface, prime any bare metal, then apply two thin coats of a heat-resistant or self-undercoating eggshell. Most modern water-based trim paints will handle radiator temperatures fine.
How do I paint metal railings?
Prep is everything: wire-brush off rust, treat bare metal with a rust-inhibiting primer like Zinsser or Hammerite, then topcoat in an exterior eggshell or metal-grade paint. Off-Black or Down Pipe are the classic railing colours.
How do I paint melamine?
Melamine paints up fine, but only if you prep properly: degrease, sand it to a dull finish, then prime with a bonding primer like Zinsser BIN before your topcoat. Skip any of that and the paint will peel off in sheets.
How do I paint MDF?
Seal the MDF first — the cut edges especially soak up paint like a sponge — then prime, sand, and topcoat. Get the prep right and MDF takes a flawless factory-smooth finish.
How do I paint exterior brick?
Yes, you can paint exterior brick — but it lives or dies on prep. Clean it back, let it dry properly, then use a breathable masonry paint in two coats. Never seal brick with a waterproof film that traps damp.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 long after plastering can I paint?
Wait until the plaster is fully dry — typically 4 to 6 weeks for fresh plaster, 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 paint front door?
Pick a dry, mild day, prep ruthlessly (degrease, sand, prime bare bits), then paint in the right order — panels first, then rails, then stiles. Use a proper exterior eggshell or gloss and give it two coats.
How do I paint a radiator?
Turn the radiator off and let it go cold, clean and key the surface, prime any bare metal with Zinsser, 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.