Develop Skills in Painting & Decorating

If you have been putting off home renovations because you are unsure how to go about them or if you are a tradesperson looking to learn new skills, this course can help you.

Learn about:

 Painting – equipment, preparation, interior and exterior walls and floors, paint types & uses, painting techniques, preservatives, stains, varnishes, oils & waxes
 Decorating – preparation, wallpapering techniques, types of paper, choosing adhesives, pattern matching, cutting
 Special effects – textured finishes, faux finishes, stencilling     
 Tiling – preparation, adhesives, grouts, different materials, wet areas, walls and floors
 Panelling – using different materials & installation

Study this course to learn how to prepare and finish both interior and exterior surfaces using paints, wallpaper, stains, and other finishes. Become skilled for trades or home renovations.

Course Content 

There are nine lessons in this course, each requiring approximately 9 hours of work including reading, additional research, completing the set tasks and assignments. 

Lesson 1. Introduction

• Introduction
• Preparing Surfaces
• Tools and Equipment for Preparation
• Painting and Decorating Tools and Equipment
• Painting Tools
• Types of Brushes
• Types of Rollers
• Wallpapering Tools
• Other Equipment (including safety gear)

Lesson 2. Paints

• Reasons for painting
• Paint Components
• Pigments
• Solvents
• Binders
• Additives
• Examples of typical paint mixes
• How Paints Work
• Types of Paint -oil based, water based
• Interior versus Exterior Uses
• What to Paint a Surface With
• Use of Primers
• Painting Brick
• Painting Concrete
• Fibrous Cement
• Stone
• Mudbrick
• Plaster
• Metal
• Wood
• Choosing Colours
• Colour Matching

Lesson 3.  Preparation for Painting

• Stages of Preparation
• Preparing to Paint
• Using Masking Tape
• Using Ladders, Scaffold, Platforms
• Sanding
• Safe Preparation of Old Lead Paints
• Preparing Different Surfaces - 
• Fibrous Cement
• Brick
• Stone
• Mudbrick
• Plaster
• Metal
• Wood

Lesson 4.  Painting Techniques

• Before you Paint
• Using Brushes
• Loading the Brush
• Cutting in
• Cleaning and Storing Brushes
• Using Rollers
• Cleaning and Storing Rollers
• Spray Painting - Sprayers
• Cleaning and Storing Sprayers
• Special Effects
• Texture Finishes - with sand, joint compound, texture additives
• Applying Textured Finishes
• Faux Finishes  - Scumble, Glaze
• Rag Rolling
• Rag Painting
• Sponging
• Dragging/Strie
• Marbling
• Tortoise Shell
• Graining
• Using Stencils (Introduction)
• Other Methods

Lesson 5.  Special paint effects

• Stencilling, Stencilling Equipment and Techniques
• Stencilling on Wood
• Marbling
• Murals
• Tromp Lóeil
• Using Paint in the Garden
• Garden Art
• Wall or Fence Painting

Lesson 6.  Wallpapering

• Introduction
• Reasons tor Wallpapering
• Types of Paper - printed, vinyl coated, vinyl, washable, flock, foil, anaglypta, superglypta, brown vinyl, natural fibre, lining paper.
• How to choose Wallpaper
• Pattern Matching
• Planning
• Measuring up
• Buying the Paper
• Choosing the Right Paste - cold water paste, multi purpose adhesive, heavy duty adhesives, paste the wall adhesives, readymade pastes
• Preparation
• Removing old Wallpaper
• Wallpapering - Tool checklist
• Deciding where to start
• Cutting the paper
• Applying Paste
• Booking (folding) the Paper
• Hanging Wallpaper
• Cleaning up
• Maintenance and Repairs
• How to Repair Holes, Blisters, Stains, Fingerprints

Lesson 7.  Tiling

• Introduction to Tiling
• Tiles - reasons to use tiles
• Tile Materials - glass, ceramic, porcelain, terracotta, stone, concrete, terrazzo, natural materials
• Surface Treatments
• Where to use Different Tiles
• Preparing to Tile
• Tiling Tools
• Adhesives
• Grouts
• Preparing Floors for Tiling
• Concrete Substrate
• Timber substrate
• Preparing Walls for Tiling
• How to tile - a floor, a wall
• Cutting Tiles
• Grouting
• Sealing Grout
• Tile Maintenance -cleaning
• Removing or Replacing a Tile
• Painting over Tiles

Lesson 8.  Panelling

• Introduction -types and applications
• Materials - Natural timber, MDF, hardboard, chipboard, plywood, vinyl, glass, fibreglass, stone, brick, faux stone or brick
• Panel Designs-planks, sheets, tiles, veneers, self adhesive
• Panel Installation
• Installing an Interior Stone Veneer
• Installing Interior Brick Veneer
• Installing Timber Panels
• Installing Self Adhesive Panelling

Lesson 9.  Other Surface Treatments

• Interior versus Exterior Finishes
• Exterior Paints
• Preparation of Outdoor Timber Surfaces
• Application Tips
• Timber Preservatives
• Preservative Coatings
• Applying Preservatives
• Stains - staining timber, staining concrete
• Whitewash - applying whitewash
• Lime Wash Paints - making them, problems
• Varnishes
• Polyurethane
• Shellac
• French Polish
• Polishing Concrete
• Oils and Waxes - Linseed, Teak, Tung oil
• Wax Finishes
• Making Your Own Healthier Paints
• Natural Paints
• Tallow and Lime Based Coating

Why Study Painting & Decorating?

Painting and decorating are concerned not only with beautifying rooms, homes or other pieces of construction but also preserving them and improving their structural qualities e.g. by waterproofing. 

Painting is not as straightforward as it may at first seem. For example, different types of surfaces need different types of preparation before you can paint them. You may also have to paint them with specific types of paints. They may require one or several coats including a primer. Walls do not have to be as durable as floors, but of course it depends whether they are exterior or interior walls. 

Decorating can be similarly complex. Holes in surfaces or protrusions need to be attended to before you can hang paper. It may or may not require a lining paper too. Some papers are self-adhesive, but others are not. Some have surfaces which are better in wet areas where they will not go mouldy but which ones?

This comprehensive course will help you to make the right decisions and provide you with a solid foundation from which to tackle all sorts of painting and decorating projects.   

Who Should Study this Course?

This course is designed to help you build useful skills in painting and decorating whether for home improvements or to add to your list of construction competencies. 

The course introduces students to a range of different types of surface preparation and decoration, as well as tips on how to produce professional finishes.

Those who this course could be of value to include - builders, handypersons, painters & decorators, DIY home renovators, self-employed tradespeople, people looking to gain some skills ahead of an apprenticeship or further study.