Painting

Big Tom Mainliner

Hi!

I'm looking for a bit of advice on painting a house.

My brother is coming home from Australia in March. He bought a house when he was home at Christmas. He's given me money to hire a painter to get the house done up. I've decided I'm going to just paint it myself, so I'm looking for a few tips.

Where can I pick up fairly cheap paint, that is still decent quality?

What's the best way of making sure when I'm painting a wall, that I don't hit the ceiling? I'm thinking maybe using tape and that way I can just pull that off at the end.

The house is fully furnished, so I need to make sure I don't get paint everywhere. Is there anyway of protecting all the furniture more cheaply than buying loads of sheets, as I can't find any cheap sheets. I'm thinking maybe getting a load of old newspapers?

Anyone think of potential pitfalls I might come up against?

dpofloinn

1 Cheap paint if you are not fussy about colour you could go to a paint supply store and ask for discontinued paint colours or you could ask them to mix up paint for you this may save you a few quid

2 Cutting in at the ceiling just take your time and go nice and slow and use a small fine brush you could use tape but in the time it will take you to put up you would have the line cut in

3 Protecting furniture, do you have old towels,curtains,bed sheets,duvet covers? loads of newspaper is a waste of time and effort move all the small items out of the room, move as much of the larger items as you can into the centre of the room this will mean less covering, go to the pound shop you can buy packs of plastic dust sheets for 1 or 2 euro.For protecting the flooring go down to the local shop ask them for the biggest cardboard boxs they have and break them up and lay them down in the area you will be working.Do it on a wall by wall basis so that way you wont need to cover everything at the same time

Pit falls can or will include dodgy plaster,damp spots,have the walls been painted before?,wallpaper,filling holes in the wall,running out of paint and not being able to get more of that paint,(white is not always white), paint dribbles, streaks, etc etc etc

However you dont seem like you have painted before or are confident in painting, would it not be easier to let profesionals do it seeing as your brother has already given you a budget for this work?

michael999999

Your brother didn't give you money to get hes new house painted for you to make a dogs dinner of it. Just avoid the hassle and get painters to do it!

Big Tom Mainliner

dpofloinn wrote: »

1 Cheap paint if you are not fussy about colour you could go to a paint supply store and ask for discontinued paint colours or you could ask them to mix up paint for you this may save you a few quid

2 Cutting in at the ceiling just take your time and go nice and slow and use a small fine brush you could use tape but in the time it will take you to put up you would have the line cut in

3 Protecting furniture, do you have old towels,curtains,bed sheets,duvet covers? loads of newspaper is a waste of time and effort move all the small items out of the room, move as much of the larger items as you can into the centre of the room this will mean less covering, go to the pound shop you can buy packs of plastic dust sheets for 1 or 2 euro.For protecting the flooring go down to the local shop ask them for the biggest cardboard boxs they have and break them up and lay them down in the area you will be working.Do it on a wall by wall basis so that way you wont need to cover everything at the same time

Pit falls can or will include dodgy plaster,damp spots,have the walls been painted before?,wallpaper,filling holes in the wall,running out of paint and not being able to get more of that paint,(white is not always white), paint dribbles, streaks, etc etc etc

However you dont seem like you have painted before or are confident in painting, would it not be easier to let profesionals do it seeing as your brother has already given you a budget for this work?

Thanks! I really appreciate the help! Some good tips there!

michael999999 wrote: »

Your brother didn't give you money to get hes new house painted for you to make a dogs dinner of it. Just avoid the hassle and get painters to do it!

Its not the Sistine chapel I'm painting, I think I can handle it :rolleyes:

How hard can it be, its not like I'm installing boilers or hanging doors, I'd hire a professional to do that. I rang a few painters and the were charging way too much for something that's fairly simple to do.

michael999999

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

Thanks! I really appreciate the help! Some good tips there!



Its not the Sistine chapel I'm painting, I think I can handle it :rolleyes:

How hard can it be, its not like I'm installing boilers or hanging doors, I'd hire a professional to do that. I rang a few painters and the were charging way too much for something that's fairly simple to do.

Right, that's why your on a forum asking how it'd done!

Make sure you put up pics of before and after!

dodzy

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

Its not the Sistine chapel I'm painting, I think I can handle it :rolleyes:

How hard can it be, its not like I'm installing boilers or hanging doors, I'd hire a professional to do that. I rang a few painters and the were charging way too much for something that's fairly simple to do.

My money's on you making a pigs mickey of it. Nothing surer.

Big Tom Mainliner

dodzy wrote: »

My money's on you making a pigs mickey of it. Nothing surer.

I've a degree in industrial engineering. I think I can handle putting on a few coats of paint Hardly takes a sophiaticated skillset!

genuine leather

fairly cheap paint, that is still decent quality?

I don't hit the ceiling?

The house is fully furnished, so I need to make sure I don't get paint everywhere.

I can't find any cheap sheets. I'm thinking maybe getting a load of old newspapers?

Anyone think of potential pitfalls I might come up against?:rolleyes:

Its not the Sistine chapel I'm painting, I think I can handle it.

How hard can it be, its not like I'm installing boilers or hanging doors, I'd hire a professional to do that.:rolleyes:

FYP
I've a degree in industrial engineering. Hardly a sophiaticated skillset.

This does not sound nice... But it is an example of what you are implying about quality painters.The same tradesmen you are looking for advice from.

Give the size of the house,no of rooms, etc, then maybe you will get feedback on costings. Personally i think there is nothing more obvious than the difference between professionally painted work and someone that is going to start by fully covering furnished rooms with newspaper.

michael999999

Your industrial engineering must be keeping you very busy if you have time to paint a fully furnished house by yourself!

Rachiee

I hired a painter to do the reception rooms and bedrooms while i did the bathroom myself honestly the difference between his job and my job was phenomenal best money i ever spent its not your house if your brother is happy to hire a painter hire a painter its well worth it.

Gmol

Rachiee wrote: »

I hired a painter to do the reception rooms and bedrooms while i did the bathroom myself honestly the difference between his job and my job was phenomenal best money i ever spent its not your house if your brother is happy to hire a painter hire a painter its well worth it.

Exactly if I was your brother I would be pretty annoyed if you did that to me. Cheap paint, and newspapers for covering suggests amateur approach.

jpb14

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

I've a degree in industrial engineering. I think I can handle putting on a few coats of paint Hardly takes a sophiaticated skillset!

Ah you will be grand so.

jpb14

Gmol wrote: »

Exactly if I was your brother I would be pretty annoyed if you did that to me. Cheap paint, and newspapers for covering suggests amateur approach.

I hope the OPs brother doesnt ask for for the contact details,written invoice and change left over from the "professional painter" who painted the house when he comes back over from Australia to live in his new house.

Big Tom Mainliner

Thanks to those who gave some advice. Not that I need much, considering that I'm painting a few walls and ceilings and not trying to disarm a nuclear bomb.

I'll be much happier keeping a bit of wedge in my arse pocket than handing it over to some lad to drink tea and listen to the radio in my brother's house.

I'll be sure to update with the before and after pictures

Supernintento Chalmers

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

Thanks to those who gave some advice. Not that I need much, considering that I'm painting a few walls and ceilings and not trying to disarm a nuclear bomb.

I'll be much happier keeping a bit of wedge in my arse pocket than handing it over to some lad to drink tea and listen to the radio in my brother's house.

I'll be sure to update with the before and after pictures

You're dead right pal.
It's a poor state of affairs if a man needs to pay someone else to paint for him.
Are you doing any other work on the house or is it just the painting?

cardwizzard

Supernintento Chalmers wrote: »

You're dead right pal.
It's a poor state of affairs if a man needs to pay someone else to paint for him.
Are you doing any other work on the house or is it just the painting?

His bro must be in a bad state then.

Considering it is him who has paid for the work which the op has now decided he wants to make a few bob by doing it himself even though he has no experience or ability....

Tokyo

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

I'll be much happier keeping a bit of wedge in my arse pocket than handing it over to some lad to drink tea and listen to the radio in my brother's house

Not your house, not your money, not your call to make.

Will you be telling the brother in question that rather than hiring a professional painter like he asked, you pocketed the money instead? Or is it just a case of hoping he doesn't find out? He entrusted you with a job, and it sounds like you're screwing him over TBH.....

Big Tom Mainliner

Supernintento Chalmers wrote: »

You're dead right pal.
It's a poor state of affairs if a man needs to pay someone else to paint for him.
Are you doing any other work on the house or is it just the painting?

Cheers.
He needs an electric shower put in too, which I'll probably do myself. I was looking at a few youtube videos and it seems handy enough. I just need to drill into the adjacent room and connect it from there as there's a power source in there already.

mike_ie wrote: »

Not your house, not your money, not your call to make.

Will you be telling the brother in question that rather than hiring a professional painter like he asked, you pocketed the money instead? Or is it just a case of hoping he doesn't find out? He entrusted you with a job, and it sounds like you're screwing him over TBH.....

While its none of your business, no I won't be telling him.

What you don't know can't hurt you and all that!

Tokyo

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

Cheers.
He needs an electric shower put in too, which I'll probably do myself. I was looking at a few youtube videos and it seems handy enough. I just need to drill into the adjacent room and connect it from there as there's a power source in there already.

...and that 'power source' is rated to handle the load of an electric shower, appropriate thickness of cable, with appropriately rated breaker at the board? Ignoring the fact that installing this yourself is illegal under the new regulations (it needs to be tested, passed and certified), you're an accident waiting to happen...

dpofloinn

''He needs an electric shower put in too, which I'll probably do myself. I was looking at a few youtube videos and it seems handy enough. I just need to drill into the adjacent room and connect it from there as there's a power source in there already.''

Hold your horses now.You saw a few youtube videos and you are planning to install an electric shower because it looks simlpe it is one thing making a balls of painting, water and electrics is another you cant just plug in an electric shower to a socket. Are you starting to troll your own thread now?

michael999999

mike_ie wrote: »

...and that 'power source' is rated to handle the load of an electric shower, appropriate thiche's ownss of cable, with appropriately rated breaker at the board? Ignoring the fact that installing this yourself is illegal under the new regulations (it needs to be tested, passed and certified), you're an accident waiting to happen...

If he can't figure out how to cover furniture, you really think he's going to be able to purchase an electric shower on hes own?

Never mind plumbing and wiring it. Lol

Big Tom Mainliner

mike_ie wrote: »

...and that 'power source' is rated to handle the load of an electric shower, appropriate thickness of cable, with appropriately rated breaker at the board? Ignoring the fact that installing this yourself is illegal under the new regulations (it needs to be tested, passed and certified), you're an accident waiting to happen...

A mate of mine who has 2 years of an apprenticeship done is going to give me a hand, so I'm sure he'll have all those bases covered.

The plumbing is already all done, the unit just needs to be hooked up.

It looks very simple in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN8yBPF8NW0

Big Tom Mainliner

Okay, I've been reading into some of the dangers there. I might be in over my head when it comes to installing the shower. There's no need to be so aggressive though. I'm not an expert.

I'm going to get my mate to have a look and see if he can do it for a decent price.

Tokyo

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

I'm not an expert.

That's kind of the point we were trying to make.

muffler

Big Tom Mainliner wrote: »

Okay, I've been reading into some of the dangers there. I might be in over my head when it comes to installing the shower. There's no need to be so aggressive though. I'm not an expert.

I'm going to get my mate to have a look and see if he can do it for a decent price.

You can pay him from the money your brother sent you to hire a painter :rolleyes:

oisinbutler

genuine leather wrote: »

fairly cheap paint, that is still decent quality?

I don't hit the ceiling?

The house is fully furnished, so I need to make sure I don't get paint everywhere.

I can't find any cheap sheets. I'm thinking maybe getting a load of old newspapers?

Anyone think of potential pitfalls I might come up against?:rolleyes:

Its not the Sistine chapel I'm painting, I think I can handle it.

How hard can it be, its not like I'm installing boilers or hanging doors, I'd hire a professional to do that.:rolleyes:

FYP
I've a degree in industrial engineering. Hardly a sophiaticated skillset.

This does not sound nice... But it is an example of what you are implying about quality painters.The same tradesmen you are looking for advice from.

Give the size of the house,no of rooms, etc, then maybe you will get feedback on costings. Personally i think there is nothing more obvious than the difference between professionally painted work and someone that is going to start by fully covering furnished rooms with newspaper.

+1!

dodzy

I suspected a troll after the OP. The shower idea confirmed it.

delly

#They see be trollin', they hatin'#