Giving your skirting boards a lick of paint might seem like a relatively small job, but it can make a real difference to your room. If your home is in need of a quick spruce up, painting the skirting boards might be just the little DIY project you need.
Like most painting projects, it's all in the prep and the paint you use. Also, if you are doing a complete redecoration of your home, the skirting boards will be the last thing you want to paint, as you'll always want to work from top to bottom to cover any drip marks.
To help you get started and learn how to paint your skirting boards, we've put together this easy step-by-step guide as well as everything you'll need to complete the project.
Things you'll need
• Dust sheets
• Sand paper
• Masking tape
• Sponge
• Sugar soap
• Primer
• 2" paint brush (this size is great for painting the top edge of the skirting board)
• Undercoat
• Skirting board paint - read our guide to the best paint for skirting boards here
How to paint skirting boards
Step one: Prep
Start by taping down your dust sheet as close to the skirting board as possible. Take your sugar soap solution and sponge to clean and wipe down the skirting boards so all the dirt, dust and grease is removed. Now use the sand paper to sand down the skirting boards, wipe away the dust and leave to dry completely.
Step two: Prime
Once fully dry, begin by painting the skirting boards with the primer. An overloaded brush may cause streaks and dripping, so be sure to wipe away any excess primer on the rim of the primer pot.
To do this successfully, position your brush at a 45 degree angle and paint from right to left, starting from one side of the room and working your way around to the other. Remember to always start at the top too and work down rather than bottom to top.
Leave the primer to fully dry, keeping in mind that this could take up to 4 hours.
Step three: Paint
Once dry, apply the first coat of paint in exactly the same way that the primer was applied. Your paint instructions may tell you to apply two coats or you might just be keen for another coat anyway. When you're happy with the colour, carefully remove any tape while the paint is still wet. Don't remove the dust sheets until completely dry - this can take around 2 hours.