Painting Essentials

✔️Drop sheets. Best to remove as much from the room you are planning on painting as possible. Sticky paint splatter is real, especially when using a roller so protecting furniture and floors with drop sheets is a non-negotiable. These come in plastic and canvas versions. Plastic is cheaper but canvas absorbs spills better and lasts longer as you can wash on repeat. 

✔️Crack filler. As the name suggests its best to fill all cracks before painting. This is a must to prevent further wall damage and to ensure paint goes onto the surface smoothly. Make sure filler is fully dry before applying primer and paint. 

✔️Sandpaper. This smooths out any imperfections on the surface you’re about to paint. Use after filling cracks to smooth left over filler. 

✔️Scraper. This is a painter’s secret weapon. Use for scraping off flaking paint, applying crack filler and even opening tricky paint tins. 

✔️Masking tape. Press firmly around skirtings, cornices and fixtures like light switches and plug points. This prevents paint spray or an overloaded paint brush from messing paint onto tricky to clean areas. 

✔️2x Rollers. This is what you will be doing the bulk of your big wall and ceiling paintwork with so make sure handles are comfy and rollers aren’t too heavy. 

✔️Multiple paint brushes. Sizes are dependent on the space you are painting. Good quality brushes are important to reach places that rollers will miss – corners and edges especially. Go for big flat brushes, small detail brushes and angled brushes which are great for reaching hard to reach corners. 

✔️2xdrip trays. Sounds obvious and you might be tempted to skip this purchase, but dipping your roller or brush directly into the paint bucket is messy and a waste of paint. Top tip: not needed if you opt for our <Flip ‘n Paint> tins!

✔️Primer. Yes you bought your dream colour, but what goes underneath? Olympic’s <All-In-One Protector> is the base layer that smooths out plastered surfaces before paint application. Think of it as creating a clean canvas for paint to stick to and sparkle. 

✔️Solvent. Apart from warm water and a mild dish soap, your strongest ally when it comes to cleaning paint off rollers and brushes is a solvent which will break down all that tough paint build up. Good options include mineral spirits, turpentine, or paint thinner. Clean as much as possible with water and brush soap before moving onto these to do the really dirty work. 

✔️Stir sticks. The ones in the garden might be free, but bark or dirt on a stick could contaminate your paint. Purchase a few sterile stirrers for mixing your paint to ensure pigment is evenly dispersed.

✔️Buckets or plastic containers. You’ll need these for soaking and rinsing brushes and rollers during the cleaning process. Used, clean old yoghurt or ice cream tubs are handy to have on hand. 

✔️Lint-Free Cloths, Paper Towels and newspaper. Wipe down brushes and rollers after rinsing to remove remaining paint and moisture. You don’t want to start day 2 with wet brushes which will water down your beautiful paint.