Protect Your Home Before You Start

Before preparing any woodwork, take a few minutes to protect the surrounding area. Paint splashes, sanding dust and filler can quickly create unnecessary mess if the room isn't protected properly.

Dust Sheets

A good quality Dust Sheets product protects carpets, flooring and furniture while you work. Reusable cotton sheets are ideal for larger decorating projects, while lightweight alternatives are useful for protecting furniture and smaller spaces.

Floor Protection

If you're decorating over expensive flooring or newly installed surfaces, dedicated Floor Protection provides an extra layer of protection against accidental spills and sanding dust.

Clean the Woodwork Thoroughly

One of the biggest mistakes DIY decorators make is painting over dirt, polish or grease.

Sugar Soap

Woodwork naturally collects grease, fingerprints and household dirt over time, particularly around doors, handrails and skirting boards.

Cleaning with Sugar Soap removes these contaminants and helps paint adhere properly, giving a smoother and longer-lasting finish.

Repair Imperfections

Even well-maintained woodwork often has small dents, screw holes and surface damage.

wood filler

A quality wood filler is perfect for repairing damaged timber before painting. Fill any holes or imperfections, allow the filler to dry fully and sand smooth before applying paint.

For best results, build deeper repairs gradually rather than trying to fill large holes in one application.

Filling Knife

Applying filler with the correct Filling Knife makes repairs quicker, cleaner and easier to sand afterwards.

Many decorators keep several filling knives available for different repair jobs.

Sanding the Surface

Preparation is arguably the most important stage when painting interior woodwork.

Sandpaper

Lightly sanding the existing paint removes minor imperfections, smooths repairs and provides a better surface for the new coating to bond to.

Sanding Blocks

Many decorators prefer sanding blocks because they apply more even pressure and make it easier to produce a flat, consistent surface on doors, skirting boards and window frames.

Light sanding between coats also helps produce an exceptionally smooth finish.

Seal the Gaps

Caulk

Small gaps often appear where skirting boards meet walls or around door frames and architraves.

Applying decorators' Caulk before painting creates crisp, professional-looking lines and hides small movement gaps that would otherwise remain visible.

Choosing the Right Decorating Equipment

Quality decorating equipment makes a significant difference to the finished result.

Paint Brushes

Painting woodwork relies much more heavily on brushes than wall decorating.

Using good quality Paint Brushes improves paint flow, reduces brush marks and allows greater control around detailed mouldings and edges.

Good Quality Brush

Investing in a good quality brush is one of the simplest ways to improve your decorating results.

Better brushes hold more paint, release it more evenly and leave a smoother finish with fewer visible brush marks.

Sash Brushes

sash brushes are particularly useful when painting detailed areas such as glazing bars, mouldings, window frames and intricate woodwork.

Their angled design makes precision work much easier than using a standard flat brush.

Mini Roller

Although brushes are the main tool for painting woodwork, a Mini Roller can be extremely useful on large flat surfaces.

Many decorators use mini rollers on internal doors, cupboard doors and flat panels before lightly finishing with a brush for a beautifully smooth appearance.

Paint Kettle

A Paint Kettle makes cutting in around detailed woodwork much easier.

Rather than carrying a full paint tin around the room, decorators often transfer a smaller amount into a kettle for greater control.

Masking Tape

Using Masking Tape protects adjacent walls, glass and flooring while producing crisp paint lines around door frames, skirting boards and window surrounds.

Removing the tape carefully while the paint is still slightly soft usually gives the cleanest results.

Looking After Your Brushes

Brush Cleaning

Cleaning brushes thoroughly after every decorating session helps maintain their shape and performance for future projects.

Removing paint before it dries also makes cleaning significantly easier.

Brush Mate

Professional decorators often use Brush Mate to keep brushes in excellent condition between jobs.

Proper storage prevents brushes from drying out and helps maintain their performance over many decorating projects.

Common Mistakes When Painting Woodwork

Many decorating problems can be avoided with good preparation.

Some of the most common mistakes include:

• Skipping Sugar Soap.
• Painting over loose or flaking paint.
• Forgetting to use wood filler.
• Not sanding between coats.
• Using poor quality brushes.
• Applying too much paint at once.
• Ignoring small gaps that should be filled with Caulk.
• Failing to clean brushes properly after use.

Professional Decorating Tips

• Always clean woodwork thoroughly before sanding.
• Fill imperfections before applying any paint.
• Sand lightly between coats for a smoother finish.
• Use a good quality brush for detailed work.
• Choose sash brushes for mouldings and window frames.
• Use a Mini Roller on larger flat panels.
• Protect quality brushes with proper Brush Cleaning and Brush Mate storage.

Your Interior Woodwork Decorating Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions