Decorating materials, tools and equipment

1Why this matters

Repainting a room is one of the cheapest ways to make a home look new, and painting and event decorating are skills that many young Rwandans turn into paid work. But the job is only as good as the materials and tools used. Emulsion on a metal gate peels within months; a cheap brush sheds hairs into the paint; a ladder on a sloping floor can put someone in hospital.

This lesson sorts out the materials, tools and equipment used in decorating, explains how to paint a wall and how much paint to buy, and sets out how to care for tools and work safely.

2Materials, tools and equipment

• Materials are used up in the work: paint, filler, sandpaper, masking tape, fabric, glue.
• Tools are small hand-held items used again and again: brushes, rollers, scrapers, scissors.
• Equipment means the larger items that support the work: ladders, trestles, extension poles, and protective clothing.

3Paint: what it is made of

Paint has three main parts:

• pigment, which gives the colour and hides the surface underneath;
• binder, which holds the pigment together and sticks the dry paint film to the surface;
• thinner (also called the solvent), a liquid that keeps the paint runny and then evaporates as it dries: water, or white spirit.

4Types of paint and other materials

5Tools

• Paint brushes: about 25 mm wide for window frames and edges, 50 to 75 mm for doors, 100 mm for walls.
• Roller and tray: the fastest way to paint large flat walls; an extension pole reaches high walls and ceilings from the floor.
• Scraper and filling knife: for removing loose paint and pressing filler into holes.
• Sanding block, stirring stick, small paint bucket (paint kettle), sponge.
• For event decorating: tape measure, scissors, stapler, needle and thread, a spirit level for straight borders.

6Equipment and protective clothing

A step ladder or trestles, overalls or old clothes, gloves, goggles when painting ceilings or using chemicals, and a dust mask for sanding.

7Painting a wall, step by step

1. Prepare. Move the furniture away, cover the floor, wash off dirt and grease, scrape away loose paint, fill cracks and holes, sand them smooth and wipe off the dust.
2. Mask the edges of window frames, switches and tiles with masking tape.
3. Prime any new plaster or filled patches.
4. Cut in: with a brush, paint a strip about 5 cm wide along the corners, the ceiling line and around the frames, where the roller cannot reach.
5. Roll the rest of the wall, about 1 m² at a time: roll a large W, then fill it in without lifting the roller, and blend each new section into the wet edge of the last.
6. Second coat: when the first coat is dry (the tin gives the time), apply the second coat in the same way.
7. Finish: remove the tape, clean the tools and put the room back.

Worked example: how much paint to buy

Byiringiro will paint the walls of a bedroom 4 m long, 3 m wide and 2.8 m high. It has one window 1.2 m by 1.0 m and one door 0.9 m by 2.0 m. The tin says 1 litre covers 10 m² per coat, and paint is sold in 4-litre tins at 16,000 Frw (an example price).

Step 1: total wall area. The four walls laid side by side make one long strip. Its length is the perimeter: 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 14 m. Area = 14 × 2.8 = 39.2 m².

Step 2: subtract the openings. Window 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 m²; door 0.9 × 2.0 = 1.8 m². Area to paint = 39.2 − 1.2 − 1.8 = 36.2 m².

Step 5: tins and cost. One 4-litre tin is not enough, so he buys 2 tins (8 litres), costing 2 × 16,000 = 32,000 Frw. The spare paint is kept for touching up.

8Caring for tools

• Clean brushes and rollers as soon as you finish: water and a little soap for water-based paint; white spirit and then soapy water for oil-based paint.
• Between coats on the same day, wrap the brush or roller in a plastic bag so it does not dry out.
• Dry brushes flat or hanging, bristles down, so they keep their shape.
• Close tins tightly and wipe the rim so the lid seals.

9Working safely

• Ladders: stand them on firm, level ground and open step ladders fully. A leaning ladder should be about 1 m out from the wall for every 4 m of height. Do not stand on the top step, and do not stretch sideways; move the ladder instead.
• Fumes: keep windows open, especially with oil paint and white spirit, and take breaks in fresh air.
• Fire: white spirit and oil paint burn easily; keep them away from charcoal stoves, gas cookers and cigarettes.
• Storage: keep paint and solvents in their labelled tins, closed, out of the reach of children and away from food.
• Old paint: old paint may contain lead, which is poisonous. Do not dry-sand paint of unknown age.
• Waste: never pour paint or white spirit into drains, streams or the soil. Let small amounts of leftover water-based paint dry hard in the tin before throwing it away.

Practice

Solution. Sandpaper and filler are materials (used up). The brush is a tool. The step ladder is equipment.

Solution. (a) Water-based emulsion: it dries quickly, has little smell and suits large walls. (b) Oil-based gloss over a metal primer: it is hard-wearing and weather-resistant, and the primer protects against rust.

Solution. Wall = 5 × 2.5 = 12.5 m². Window = 1.5 × 1.2 = 1.8 m². Area = 10.7 m². Two coats = 21.4 m². Paint = 21.4 ÷ 10 = 2.14 litres, so buy more than 2 litres (for example a 2.5-litre tin, or three 1-litre tins).

Solution. About 1 m: 1 m out for every 4 m up.

Solution. Two things: gloss is oil-based, so water does not dissolve it (he needs white spirit), and he waited too long, so the paint has started to harden in the bristles. Tools must be cleaned straight after use.