Rants, hints, tips, questions or answers, post them here.

OK to start off a couple of rants.

People who paint over fittings should be executed.

Next up are water based paints for wood/metal, they just don't cut it when compared to solvent based products when you want something workable with a decent durable finish.

I don't know about executed, but yes, things like light switches, plug sockets and radiators should all be removed before painting.

Mark

Radiators are a big job and probably well beyond the capabilities of most DIYers if it comes to moving/removal, however there are very cheap brushes available that allow even the most incompetent to do a reaonable job that is only perceptible on close inspection.

I never remove fitments, but a roll of masking tape is very useful. I even mask around coving, just to get that sharp line - but that could be my OCD rearing its head. Anyway...

I've just been filling a crack in the bedroom.


</The League of Gentlemen>

Masking tape is ok. At leats it shows care/consideration for a decent job.

Yeah masking tape is good, but the cheap stuff is a false economy because it's not sticky enough and let's the paint under it's front edge.

Like amnesia, I put it around coving, frames, skirting and fixings. Makes the job much much quicker, and the edges nice and crisp.

?

I don't think he's posted in this thread yet.

I tend not to use maksing tape unless someone elese is paying for it. I can cut in and get a decent enough edge without it, especially when doing several layers and the good tape can't be left on for a length of time.

They're not difficult. I replaced all ours because the ones in the house were pretty inferior stock and started leaking from the seals, probably been left out in a yard for years. The major difficulty was finding the right sized replacements at a reasonable price.

So long as you make sure the water is not going to make you an indoor swimming pool it's straight forward.

Woops, right you are!

I meant Steve - sorry Steve.

Difficult no, but I still say they are beyond most people. I am quite happy and competent to work on gas and electricity but now the government tells me I can't. It used to be based on whether you were competent, and before I rented out my house I had all the work I had done myself checked out (without issue) for liability reasons, but now apparently you're lucky to be able to change a light bulb without HSE sticking their beak in.

No - seriously - we have to get the site sparky in to change any bulbs in the kitchen at work.
Nobody else has got the ticket to do it.

I tend to use a fair bit of masking tape. Helps with painting but also with drilling into tiles. Also use it for positioning/marking (the low-tack stuff).

No, they're not.

Mark

Doesn't that depend on the size of the radiators?

Anyway, Mark - why haven't you commented on my "support" thread in the photo forum yet?

They are if you're on your own.