Painting and decorating

Painting is the strand most people start with, and it is the one where the finish is decided long before the first coat goes on. Almost everything that makes a wall look flat and even happens while the tin is still shut: washing off the dust, filling the dents, sanding the filler back level and taking the time to mask what you cannot afford to catch.

The guides in this strand are written in the order the work actually happens. Fill and sand comes first because it is the stage most often skipped, and skipping it shows up under a roller in a way no second coat can hide. Painting a room in a weekend follows, and it assumes the filling is already done and dry.

The bench rule for this strand is simple: thin coats, fully dry, in good light. A light that rakes across the wall from one side will show you every ridge while you can still do something about it. A light directly behind you will show you nothing until the room is finished and the sun moves.