This section will assist you in doing your own painting. This is a rather simple projects, and by following the advice presented here you will find it to be enjoyable and effective as well. You'll learn how to prepare a wall, estimate materials, and use your tools correctly. Pay particular attention to the section on wall preparation and repair. It will guide you through this most neglected step for a final result that is more attractive and longer lasting. Painting does not demand a lot of you physically.

         The toughest part will be painting the ceiling. The key thing is proper prep. You may want to take shortcuts here. Don 't. Always understand, develop, and adhere to proper safety practices for each project. Always use the appropriate tool for the job. Keep blades sharp. A dull blade requires excessive force and can slip.

         Safety goggles or glasses should be worn when using power tools, especially if you wear contacts. Always unplug your power tools when making adjustments or changing attachments. Be sure your tools are properly grounded. Watch power cord placement so that it does not interfere with the operation of the tool The proper respirator or face mask should be used when sanding or working with chemicals. Wear ear protection when operating power tools, because some operate at a noise level that can damage hearing. Be careful of loose hair and clothing so that they don't get caught in power tools Wipe up spills immediately. Don't smoke or allow open flames, such as a pilot light, around solvents or solvent-based paints. Dispose of rags carefully to avoid spontaneous combustion. When using a stepladder, have both pairs of legs fully open and the spread bars locked in place. Never climb higher than the second step from the top. When bracing a ladder against the wall, a safe distance between the feet and the wall is one quarter the height of the ladder. Don't use an aluminum ladder when working near electrical wires.

Although there is a greater variety of paint available now, there are only two basic types: water-based and oil-based. All paint consists of colored particles pigment - held together in a binding solution, which is soluble in either oil or water. The great majority of water-based paints are not shiny when dry, about half of the oil-based paints are.

For the purposes of interior decoration, most people are interested in what type of finish the paint will give, so manufacturers categorize paints according to the degree of shine they have. Those with no shine are called flat or matt paints; those with a slight shine are low-lustre, eggshell, silk-finish or satin-finish; and those with a high shine, gloss or high-gloss. Having discussed the variety of paints available and the different effects they will achieve, it is necessary to consider where to apply which paint. This is largely a matter of taste, but there are a few points to bear in mind. It isn't a good idea to put high-gloss or the more shiny low-lustre paints on a wall with lumps or undulations because the paint will highlight the flaws. High-gloss paint on woodwork adjoining a matt wall draws too much attention to the woodwork and makes the walls appear to recede. Gloss paint washes more easily than other types, but woodwork tends to look better with low-lustre or matt. If you need to protect paint from constant handling - on a banister or door, for example - it is preferable to varnish it. Three coats of varnish over matt paint are no more likely to chip than a thick coat of gloss paint; also, gloss has a hard, cold, colorless shine, whereas flat paint that has been varnished retains a gleam of its own colour where it catches the light.

SINGLE COLOUR ROOMS

In interiors with many colourful objects, such as books, it's often a mistake to use more than two colours for walls and woodwork, and a single colour for both can lend a pleasing visual unity. Nonetheless, the basic hue of a single-colour room must be chosen with care. Dark walls - say, deep blue need pale, relieving woodwork, but pale walls don't normally need dark woodwork. Mid-tone walls can have either dark or light wooden areas, but usually require some defining contrast. Rooms where wood and walls are all one colour look odd with a contrasting ceiling.

The great advantage fusing a paint kettle is that you use only a small amount of paint at a time, so that the remainder is protected from dirt and also from contact with the air, which will cause it to form a skin and become lumpy. Immerse only the first inch of the brush, and press the bristles against the sides of the kettle to remove paint on the rim, as excess will accumulate there and the lumps formed will drop into the paint. It ~ a good idea to wipe the rim and inside walls of the kettle at intervals with a dry brush to prevent any such deposits forming.

Those with no shine are called flat or matt paints; those with a slight shine are low-lustre, eggshell, silk-finish or satin-finish; and those with a high shine, gloss or high-gloss. Having discussed the variety of paints available and the different effects they will achieve, it is necessary to consider where to apply which paint. This is largely a matter of taste, but there are a few points to bear in mind. It isn't a good idea to put high-gloss or the more shiny low-lustre paints on a wall with lumps or undulations because the paint will highlight the flaws. High-gloss paint on woodwork adjoining a matt wall draws too much attention to the woodwork and makes the walls appear to recede. Gloss paint washes more easily than other types, but woodwork tends to look better with low-lustre or matt. If you need to protect paint from constant handling - on a banister or door, for example - it is preferable to varnish it. Three coats of varnish over matt paint are no more likely to chip than a thick coat of gloss paint; also, gloss has a hard, cold, colourless shine, whereas flat paint that has been varnished retains a gleam of its own colour where it catches the light.

MATT OR FLAT PAINTS

Undercoat Undercoat is an oil-based paint, used to provide a non-porous ground for all oil-based finishing coats. It is not usually applied as a top coat itself, but it can be substituted for flat oil if necessary. If you do this, you may need two coats (as undercoat covers the surface more thinly than flat-oil) and you should protect it with a coat or two of matt varnish because its powdery texture makes it less durable than top coat paint. The colour range is limited, but the colours are quite subtle and the paint is easily tinted.

Undercoat is an excellent base for over-decorating techniques, such as marbling, but you should buy one of the better quality brands for this, as they dry to a smoother finish. The first application of undercoat may be thinned half-and-half with mineral spirits to saturate a porous surface and to create a key for the next, full-strength coat.

Latex This term is used to describe a wide range of water-based paints which are usually applied to plaster; the range now includes matt vinyls also known as latex flat enamels. You cannot apply latexes to metal as, being porous, they will allow it to corrode. They aren't really suitable as a ground for overdecoration, either (unless sealed with a matt varnish), but they are good for washes because they can easily be thinned with water. Latexes are relatively inexpensive and are easy to use. They dry quickly and can easily be covered with other types of paint to avoid porosity. Lately latexes have been produced to withstand steamy atmospheres, too. 

You can apply latexes over new plaster, as they will let it breathe; they also have good adhesion and very little smell. A'mist'coat of latex on new plaster can be thinned 1: 1 with water and the next coat applied at full strength. Apply this second coat liberally and don't over-brush. It's useful to lay off this paint toward a light source, rather than downward, to ensure an even appearance.

Clean a brush as soon as you buy it. Twirl it with the handle between your palms, then give the brush a good wash zn mineralspirds and twirl it dry. All brushes have loose hairs and twirling the brush, bristles downward, will cause the loose bristles to drop out now, not when you're painting. When. using oil-based paint, clean brushes in mineral spirits and then wash them thoroughly in lukewarm soapy water, after twirling them, hang them bristles downward.

LOW-LUSTRE TO GLOSS

Eggshell and low-lustre These can be oil-based or water-based. The oilbased paints are non-porous and give a soft, expensive-looking sheen on walls or woodwork. They are suitable for overpainting and other decorative techniques. They look much better when applied in several well-thinned coats rather than one thick one, which will look heavy and rubbery. The waterbased paints are really designed for walls-, they are fast-drying, but don't wear as well as oil-based ones. On woodwork, water-based eggshells last longer than matt latexes. When thinned, their consistency should be no less than that of thin cream, and they should be applied with the same brushwork method as flat-oil. Both lowlustre and eggshell paints need an undercoat.

Trade eggshell Like flat-oil, this oilbased paint is usually supplied only to the decorating trade and is superior to all other low-lustre paints. It is more expensive but more durable, hard and smooth with a better, even sheen and is suitable for doors, furniture and walls and as a ground for many overdecorating techniques. Although rather harder to work with than other lowlustre paints, demanding careful brushwork, the effect of trade eggshell is well worth the extra trouble. The methods of application are the same as for flat-oil.

Gloss All gloss paints are oil-based. The terms semi-gloss, gloss, high-gloss, wet-look and hard-gloss describe different levels of shine. Normally, the shinier the paint is, the more durable it will be. Gloss paints are highly resistant to water and dirt, although they do tend to chip. Gloss is usually applied to wood and metal and is often suitable for exterior use. It demands careful brushing on and laying off. These paints can be diluted with mineral spirits but they should not be thinned too much. The thinnest desirable texture is that of mayonnaise or tomato ketchup-, any more thinning will break the consistency of the paint. Gloss paints need an undercoat and should then be laid on generously, over a small section of the surface at a time, and distributed evenly with cross-strokes. After this, tip off the brush on the edge of a paint kettle and then remove any excess paint. You can tell whether the application is even by the feel of the brush; it will slither greasily on saturated surfaces and drag over those that are too thinly covered. Use crossstrokes to correct any unevenness, and then lay off with firm, evenly pressured strokes. It's useful to apply successive coats in different directions to avoid a track effect. If you are painting on wood, always finish the last coat in the same direction as the grain.

USING GLOSS OVER

LARGE AREAS

Woodwork and floors are the best surfaces for large areas of gloss, not walls. For shiny walls, use gloss varnish over flat-oil or latex. Finish is of paramount importance to gloss. When laying on, criss-cross the strokes to avoid tracks; then cross off featherlight finishing strokes with another brush, always going in the same direction. On wood, always follow the grain. On hardboard and similar surfaces, lay off toward the light. Don't use rollers; gloss tends to peel off' when rolled, owing to insufficient adhesion.