THE DIY PAINTING ESSENTIALS

Before you climb into that old pair of dungarees and pick up a roller, here are some DIY POINTERS to make sure you're happy with your endeavours.

- STEVE SMITH

* WHAT COLOUR TO PAINT A ROOM

Because some rooms are bigger than others. There's a correlation between room size and paint colour - and paint colour and tone certainly have an influence on the perception of a room's size. To create the perception that a room is larger than it actually is, use cool colours, whites, neutrals and pastels. If you'd like to make a large room appear more intimate, use strong, warm colours. The effect is caused by warm colours seeming to advance, and cool colours seeming to recede.

* KNOWING HOW MUCH PAINT TO BUY

Because you either have loads left over, or not quite enough to finish the job. The volume of paint required depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the surface being painted. Profile, porosity, type of paint, application equipment, and actual loss of paint during application all need to be taken into account. Floors require length x width measurements, while walls need width x height measurements. Roofs have percentage increases on area size as a result of profiles and pitches.

People often neglect to double the area size of a surface for a two-coat application. Bring your area measurements with you and chat to a consultant when you make your purchase. It's always worth having a little left over, and to keep records of the colours and tints for touch-ups.