Painting a Room

New surfaces such as drywall or tongue-and-groove woodwork need an appropriate primer coat before first coats or finish coats are applied. When decorating previously painted surfaces, you will still need to apply first coats as well as finish coats. For information on applying natural wood finishes.

Woodwork
Prime bare wood with an alkyd paint, then paint it with two or more coats of eggshell, or one or two coats of a suitable shade of first coat and finish with a semi-gloss finish coat

Walls and Ceilings
These are usually painted with flat paint. Paint with a latex sealer. Use a mist coat to prime bare masonry walls and ceilings or apply good-quality flat directly onto the surface. Use eggshell for a hardwearing finish

Floors
If you want to paint the floor, use specially formulated, hardwearing floor paint

Recommended Application Methods

Although latex- and oil-based paints can be applied with rollers or pads as well as brushes, cleaning them after using oil paints is difficult and will require lots of white spirit or thinner.

Primer
Use a brush, roller or pad.

First Coat
Use a brush, roller or pad.

Flat
Use a brush, roller, pad or sprayer.

Eggshell
Use a brush, roller or pad.

Gloss
Use a brush.

Floor Paint (on Wood)
Use a brush.

Floor Paint (on Concrete)
Use a brush or roller.

Metal Paint
Use a brush.