With people spending more time at home, Mooroopna Hardware store manager Joey Campanelli said many were using the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get painting.
“It's been crazy, there's lots of painting being done at the moment,” Mr Campanelli said.
“If you can't work, you can't go out and do anything, you may as well paint the house and bring it back to life.”
When it came to picking up the paint brush, Mr Campanelli said preparation was the key. Here are his top tips.
1. Get cleaning.
Use a sugar soap or detergent and make sure there is no dirt or dust left behind, otherwise the paint will not stick to the surface.
2. Prepare the room.
Remove as much a furniture as you can and use drop sheets to protect the carpet and cover up any larger items.
“It can be a messy job sometimes,” Mr Campanelli said.
3. Create a smooth canvas.
Use gap filler or Spakfilla to repair any holes or cracks in the walls and then sand over them and any other splotchy bits of plaster.
Mr Campanelli recommended a light 120 to 150 grit sandpaper for a smooth finish.
4. The next step is taping.
To ensure a clean line when painting the walls or the ceiling, or using different colours, Mr Campanelli said taping-off was crucial.
“The main thing is to make sure you press as hard as possible on the edge where the paint is going over to seal it so it doesn't seep in,” he said.
5. The tools of the trade.
“Once you've done all your prep work and you are ready to paint, have all your accessories, brushes, rollers, rags handy,” Mr Campanelli said.
6. Prime first, paint second.
If you are painting bare plaster walls it is an absolute must to prime, seal and undercoat. Mr Campanelli said a three-in-one product would do the trick.
Cutting corners here will only mean the paint will soak in to the plaster and you will end up having to do extra coats.
He also recommended this step if you are painting over a darker colour.
7. Cutting in.
You are finally ready to paint. The first step is to paint around all the sides, top and bottom to create a square.
Mr Campanelli suggested transferring the paint to a smaller cup or bucket rather than lugging around a four or 10 litre paint tin.
8. Coat one.
Pour the paint into the roller tray and roll the paint onto the wall.
When you are rolling the paint in the tray give it a few rolls to get it nice and even on the roller.
9. Lunch break.
Leave two hours between coats but do not let your brushes dry out in the meantime.
Rather than washing them, Mr Campanelli's trick is to put the rollers and brushes in a damp plastic bag.
10. Coat two.
Generally two coats should do the job but sometimes an extra one might be needed if going over a dark colour.
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