The increased amount of time we've spent in our homes has naturally resulted in more wear and tear, both inside and out. Whether it's cracking or accidental scratches, paint that's faded over time, or just a dated colour, painting a wall, fence or piece of furniture is the chance to freshen up your space in a simple, quick and budget-friendly way.
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While the preparation for painting can sound intimidating, the team at Trojan has designed a range of tools for the task and shared their following expert advice.
It's all in the prep
The finished result is only as good as the preparation and time taken prior to painting. Begin by cleaning the area of any debris that may be sitting on or in front of the surface, cover any surfaces to avoid accidental splattering and for outdoors jobs such as a fence, ensure the grass is mowed and there is no foliage obstructing you.
To achieve a great result, start by scraping of any old or flaking paint with a paint scraper. Painting over flaky paint can result in bumps and will prevent the new coat of paint from sticking to the surface. Essentially, by not skipping the prep your new paint work will look better and last longer.
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Sand away
The key to a smooth finish is sanding any uneven surfaces. To apply a perfectly smooth coat of paint to ceilings, interior or exterior walls, woodwork or a fence, you must start with a perfectly smooth surface.
Using the correct sanding sponge will help level out the surface and flatten any ridges that may have occurred during the scraping process or after natural wear-and-tear.
When picking the sanding sponge, the higher the number on the sponge, the finer the sanding finish will be.
This simple task is easily done with a high-quality sponge such as Trojan's 120 Grit angled sanding sponge. When sanding is complete, wash the surface with Sugar Soap to remove any grease or grime.
Pro tip: To sand hard to reach areas such as decorative wood, corners or edges, use an angled sanding sponge instead of the standard block sponge - its angled shape can easily get into tight corners and crevices.
Fill in the gaps
Once your selected surface has been scraped, sanded and washed, it's time to fill in any gaps and holes using a gap filler and a paint scraper.
Pour the gap filler or compound into a bucket or tub and add water until you reach a slightly thick consistency, or use a ready-to-apply gap filler.
Using a paint scraper, apply the filler to any holes, cracks or chips on the surface, ensuring to overfill the area. Once dry, lightly sand over the surface for a smooth finish.
Time to paint
Now for the fun part! To ensure even colour and consistency, it's important to stir the paint before you begin (as well as every so often while painting), as ingredients can often separate. To mix the paint thoroughly, try Trojan's lightweight paint drill mixer which can be transported as you paint.
Pro tip: Make sure you don't pull the drill mixer out of the paint tin until it has stopped spinning to ensure surrounding surfaces aren't splattered with paint.
Clean Up
Once you've finished painting, thoroughly clean brushes and rollers before they dry. To clean paint tools efficiently and quickly, use Trojan's 6 in 1 multi paint scraper, which can be used to squeeze out excess paint from rollers. By removing as much excess paint as possible, the roller or brush will be easier to clean.
Pro tip: Scrape your excess paint from the roller directly back into the paint tin so it can be used next time.