The order of painting walls and skirting/doors

Joined
30 Mar 2015
Messages
3,825
Reaction score
58
Country
United Kingdom
Happy New Year to start,

I have two rooms to paint - walls/ceiling and skirting/doors. I plan to give the walls two coats of paint with fine sanding in between. The doors and skirting will get 2 coats of primer/undercoat and then 2 further coats of satinwood. Each layer will be followed by fine sanding.

Q - which order should I do all of this in? I've got drying times and sanding dust to consider I feel

Thanks.
 
Sponsored Links
As a DIYer, I would paint ceiling, walls. Walls will dry in a day or less, then do all the priming, rub down, just ensure its dry before you rub down.
Read instructions re time, also dependant on temperature/humidity.
Now the pros will come & tell you how they do. lol
 
I would say paint the woodwork first. The primer/undercoat dries fast and you will inevitably get it on the walls anyway. Vacuum up all dust before proceeding. The top coats dry slower (if oil based) but have the advantage that once done, any spillage of the wall/ceiling emulsion onto the satin is easily wiped off (unlike the other way around), so do them second.

http://www.thejoyofmoldings.com/how-to-paint-moldings/
 
No problem with doing the ceiling first, but do the skirting boards and other woodwork before the walls, or at least the parts of the wall near the woodwork. Its quite easy to neatly cut-in the wall paint above the skirting boards, but rather hard to paint the top of the skirting boards without getting the paint on the walls you just painted a different colour. You'd have to use masking tape to do it the other way around.
 
Sponsored Links
I always find it easier to do the skirtings last - for some reason my hand is steadier along the top of the skirting...Just find your own way of success. Ceiling first, certainly.
 
The accepted order is ceilings, walls and finally woodwork.
Personally I follow this with the exception that I get the walls to within one coat and then doo the woodwork, followed by the final coat of emulsion.
Exactly for the reasons above it's easier to remove emulsion from gloss than the other way round
 
The accepted order is ceilings, walls and finally woodwork.
Personally I follow this with the exception that I get the walls to within one coat and then doo the woodwork, followed by the final coat of emulsion.
Exactly for the reasons above it's easier to remove emulsion from gloss than the other way round


Snap- most of my work is edwardian room with cove, picture rail and dado, lots of wood cutting in.
 
Emulsion is easier to get off gloss than the other way arround - i paint with this in mind.

Unless its a new room then i will do the ceiling first, mist coat on, whilst drying, get all my woodwork cut and primed if needed, first coat on the walls then hopefully wood is ready for gloss, get it all on tresles or off the floor and paint, ensure no paint onto joint faces, when all is dry fix the woodwork and fill any brad holes and touch up.
 
I would support sh4's method, but I'm surprised that no ones queried why you're sanding the walls between coats. You need to sand the wood after the primer, as it lifts the grain, and it can be good to sand the wood between the top coats to take off any nibs and drips, but some times you want 180 grade rather than fine so that it's not too smooth.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top