Andy picked up an old table to use on the deck of his country cottage. It was in pretty good condition … just needed a good clean and a light sand on the top and the sides.
Although the table would be undercover it would still be exposed to the elements … so it needed a coating that would waterproof and protect it … and enhance the earthy colours of the timber … with the low sheen rustic timber finish that Andy wanted.

We decided to use “Howard products” Orange Tung Wood Oil. This is a mixture of 100% pure Tung oil and “Howards” own 100% natural orange oil … this combination is an absolute pleasure to work with.
It forms a flexible waterproof coating … so it takes the weather really well … it’s not prone to mould … it doesn’t darken with age … and it looks great.

Step 1

We’re working with the large brush … the medium brush and the mini brush … and as the Orange Tung Wood Oil is a little syrupy and thick to work with ( although not as thick as oil base paint )… we are using the Easi-Paint multi-purpose pads to reduce the surface drag… and as it’s only a small job we’re using the small paint tray.
First was the table top and the sides … we did this in minutes using the large brush …you can see that the oil is really soaking in … it’s putting moisture back into the timber and bringing out the colours and the natural lustre of the wood.

Step 2

The table legs we did with a mixture of the medium brush for the smaller flat areas … and the mini brush … which made all of the fiddly bits easy … as the Easi-Paint pads mould themselves to the contours of any surface that you’re painting.

We checked our project in a couple of hours … our surface was perfectly prepared so we didn’t have to …but if you do see any excess oil sitting in puddles on the surface… wipe the excess oil off … or blend it in with a soft dry rag. Leave it to dry for 24 hours.

The second coat really brought it all together … the character and the colours of timber are superb … it will feel quite soft and silky to the touch because it’s been moisturised and nourished … the table is totally sealed and waterproofed and once the oil settles it will have a gorgeous low sheen finish … that’s exactly what we’re after.

Andy’s really happy with the transformation … his $25.00 table will give him a lot of use as the view from his deck is spectacular … with the Orange Tung Wood Oil being such a tough finish … the table will handle the weather … and withstand the heavy traffic of farm life.

We have used “Howards” Orange Tung Wood Oil on our deck for some years with fantastic results and the application is really easy. Simply fit the fixed extension clip … or the swivel extension clip to the Easi-Paint large handle … you can now do the job with a straight back … you get a totally professional protective finish and the mini-brush gets you right to the edges for seamless results … the job is done in no time.

Time taken – 1 day & 19 minutes from start to finish 5 minutes – sanding 7 minutes – first coat 7 minutes – second coat 24 hours – drying time in between coats

Cost of the job

$ 95.00 Easi-Paint Home Decorators Kit (reusable)

• - 1 large paint tray with loading roller
• - 1 small paint tray with loading roller
• - 1 large brush with Multi-purpose pad
• - 1 medium brush with Multi-purpose pad
• - 1 Mini-brush with Multi-purpose pad
• - 1 removable ceiling & high wall extension clip

(the kit was costed in to an earlier project … and the pads are still good … so now … we reap the benefits)

$175.00 – “Howards” Orange Tung Wood Oil ( we purchased this some years ago to do our deck … and we still have lots left for our next projects )

$ 25.00 – Timber table
$ 25.00

The large brush is used to paint … walls … ceilings … fences … and all large surface areas. It is comfortable in the hand for painting the parts of the surface that you can reach.

A ceiling extension clip fits into the large handle to allow you easy access to the hard to get to areas … high walls … ceilings … high bits in stairways … outside under the eaves … and more. Stain or varnish a timber floor … oil a deck … use paving paint on concrete paths and floors etc.

The extension clip is designed to fit straight onto a broomstick or mop handle … a standard bit of 1” dowel. It’s a tapered fit and there’s tiny little ridges inside which lock right onto the timber when you give it a gentle twist.

To remove the extension clip … simply place something flat like a screwdriver … a key … or a coin under the two little windows on the face of the extension clip and twist lightly to release the safety lock.

To remove the pad … where you see white in the middle of the handle is the back of the pad … you just push it out. A large range of specialty pads for all sorts of different jobs is available to fit the handles and inter-changing them is a breeze The Easi-Paint Home Decorator kit makes any project quick & easy.

All of the Easi-Paint pads can be washed with warm water for water base paint … or turps … followed by warm soapy water to wash out the dirty turps for oil base paint.

The medium brush is used for lots of smaller jobs … all of the trim work in the home … furniture … timber moldings … doors … and it gives you a spray gun finish with difficult oil base paint … estapol … thick heavy varnish and lacquer.

The most versatile of all … with this brush you can take the pad out of the handle … where you see white in the middle of the handle is the back of the pad … simply push it out.

Turn the pad round 90 degrees … you can see that’s it’s too big for the handle this way … bend the pad in the middle … you can now snap it back under the clips in the handle in 3 different positions.

To paint a cornice

A perfect fit for standard cornice … you can paint it as fast as you can move your hand … simply apply the paint … then go back over the work while it’s still wet and lightly lay it off in one direction … as you’re only working with the tips of the bristles you get a professional finish without brush marks or streaks.

To paint timber moldings & corrugated sheeting

Down one more notch for a smaller curve that gets right into the deeper parts of timber molding and whips through corrugated sheeting in no time at all.

To paint colonial doors, windows & beading and panelling

Down to the last size for the really fiddly stuff … small timber & plaster moldings … beading is a cinch … and this ones great for mini-orb and deep tight little recesses.

When the medium brush is in any of the curved positions … you still use the loading system in the paint trays … this measures out the right amount of paint from the tray to the brush … thus ensuring that you get great coverage with none of the mess and splatter … and there are no drips or runs in the paint work.

The mini brush is used for all the really fiddly bits … no need for masking tape that you struggle to get on … and struggle to get off … cutting in and edging has never been easier.

Just make sure that the protective guard … around the outside of the handle … is free of wet paint … this guard sits against the surface that you don’t want to paint … and a light touch is the key to a good job.

Don’t use any pressure … you only work with the rested weight of the brush itself … and this little brush gets right up to the edge leaving a crisp clean professional finish.

The mini brush is also ideal for wrought iron … louver doors … intricate moldings on furniture … ceiling roses … and so much more…

To remove the mini brush pad from the handle … place your thumb under the laminated back of the pad and gently pull it out of the handle.

Roll the laminated back of the pad over your finger gently until it curves … turn it 90 degrees and put it back in the handle … now you have a right-angle brush that will get right in and paint both sides of every corner at once.

When you are working with the mini brush in the right-angle position you always want the front of the pad to rest against the front guard for stability … and don’t use any pressure .. if you don’t get complete coverage in 1 stroke don’t press harder … just wriggle it more and the bristles will find their own way in.

Too much pressure is never the key to a good job … it generally comes from bad habits that we pick up from improper use of conventional paint brushes and rollers.

Ease the pressure off when you’re painting … you will get a better finish … done faster … it’s much easier on you … and you get a much longer life out of your tools.

The paint loading system

There is 1 big paint tray with a paint loading roller for the big projects and 1 small paint tray with a paint loading roller for the smaller jobs.

Having 2 trays is very handy as 2 people can be working on different jobs at the same time … separate the trays with a sharp knife or hacksaw.

The trays are the most important part of the Easi-Paint Home Decorator Kit.

The paint loading rollers measure out just the right amount of paint from the trays to the brushes … 1 small drop of paint is loaded onto the very tips of the paint brush bristles that cover the paint pads.

This ensures that you are always working with a painting system that is Drip-Free.

You always load the brushes by going twice over the roller … both times in the same direction so that you know you’re loading the whole pad … no more than that though … it’s all you need to get great coverage over a large area but it’s not enough paint to drip or cause splatter.

Twice over the roller with the large brush measures out enough paint to do about 1 square metre … and as it’s such quick method of application that you will do that in moments.

You will only use HALF the amount of water base paint that you would if you were using ordinary paint brushes and rollers.

… because you’re not overloading the brushes.

… because you’re applying the paint correctly … the same way that the professionals do … which is by using just the very tips of the bristles of a paint brush.

… because there’s no mess or waste.

There is no set rule as to how much paint you pour into the tray … as long as the loading roller is turning in the paint … the roller sits about 4mm above the bottom of the tray which allows it to move freely … the turning action also helps to keep the tint mixed in the paint.

It is best not to fill it to the very top … leave some room so that you can move the tray around the room … and the paint won’t spill.

It really just depends on the size of your job.

The trays … and the Easi-Paint handles … are made from high quality ABS plastic which is very tough and long lasting … they can be used for many projects over many years.

Tip

The plastic has a memory … if a tray ever spreads and doesn’t hold the loading roller securely in place … simply run really hot water on it … pinch it in the middle with your fingers … hold it in that position for a couple of minutes … the tray sets right back to it’s original shape … and it’s as good as new again.

About our pads

The Easi-Paint Home Decorator kit comes loaded with Multi-Purpose paint pads.

They are made from the highest quality 4.5mm dover bristles … known as “flock” … fused onto a 10mm layer of tri-fibre … 3 industrial nylons interwoven … that acts as a suspension system … and is not bothered by the harsher cleaning solvents … like turps or metho.

Easi-Paint pads are the best that are available on the market and they are proudly made in England.

One set of Multi-Purpose pads should decorate at least an average 3 bedroom house right through … with 2 coats of paint on every surface from top to bottom.

Replacement pads are available from the web page any time you need them.

There is also an extensive range of clip-in specialty pads & clip-in decorative pads to fit the Easi-Paint handles … and some really handy painting accessories.

Cleaning the brushes Water base paint … put some warm water into a bucket … warm water break paint down faster than cold water … pop the pad out of the handle and drop it in the bucket upside down so the laminated back is facing you and leave it for about 20 minutes. The pad floats … the water separates the bristles and the paint starts to break up and drop to the bottom. Remove the pad from the bucket and rinse it thoroughly in warm water … until the water runs clean.

Leave it to dry naturally … and store it away for next time.

Oil base paint put about half an inch of turps in a shallow tray … just enough to cover the pad and place the pad face down in the turps.

Squish it … squeeze it … work the turps through the pad … change the turps once or twice then make sure that you wash the dirty turps out of the pad thoroughly using warm soapy water.

Leave it to dry naturally … and store it away for next time.

Cleaning the trays

Water base paint … after pouring any excess paint back into the can … the little that’s left rinses straight off the plastic trays with warm water.

Oil base paint … pour the excess paint out … the thin film that’s left will settle to a skin that can be peeled out once it’s dry.

How to paint a flat surface using the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

Link

Easi Paint part 2 – painting a rough surface with EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

How to paint a rough surface using the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

Link

Easi Paint part 3 – painting a VJ wall with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

How to paint a VJ wall using the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

Link

Easi Paint part 4 – painting a ceiling with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

How to paint a ceiling with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

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Easi Paint part 5 – Using enamel paints with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

Using enamel paints with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

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Easi Paint part 6 – cutting in with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

Cutting in and edging with the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT

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Easi Paint part 7 – what’s in the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT & handy hints

What’s in the EASI PAINT DIY PAINTING KIT & handy hints

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1. Apply a base coat … we chose dark blue and allow to dry.
2. Load the Honeycomb Stippler with your second colour … we used light blue … apply the paint using a light random dabbing action.
3. If you think you have been heavy handed with the second colour … simply let it dry and go back over the work with your base colour … that will tone it down.

Tip. Always load the pad sparingly … too much paint will give a heavy splattered finish and make sure you don’t have a build up of paint on the edges of the pad.

2 TONE HONEYCOMB

1. Apply a base coat … we chose mustard … and allow to dry.
2. Load the Honeycomb Stippler with your second colour … we used deep ochre … apply the paint with a light random dabbing action.
3. When the second colour has dried … load the Honeycomb Stippler with you third colour … we used metallic gold and repeat step 2.

Tip. Always load the pad sparingly … too much paint will give a heavy splattered finish and make sure you don’t have a build up of paint on the edges of the pad.

FINE DISTRESSING

1. Apply a base coat … we chose white … and allow to dry.
2. Apply a second colour … we used burgandy … this you work with while it’s wet so on large areas do about 1 sq metre at a time.
3. Use a very light random twisting action to take part of the top coat off and reveal the base colour underneath.

Tip. 1 person only must do the top coat so that you have a consistent finish.

BASKETWEAVE

1. Apply a base coat … we chose white … and allow to dry.
2. Apply a coat of your second colour … we used a light purple … this you work with while it’s wet … so on large areas do about 1 sq metre a time.
3. Go back over the wet paint with the Honeycomb Stippler using a criss cross motion to achieve the basketweave finish.

Tip. The size of the pad will be the size of the weave and once you have done the first three weaves … keeping it straight is really easy.

Click here for more Honeycomb Stippler information

1. Apply a base coat … we chose dark green … and allow to dry.
2. Load the Faux Finish Wizard with you second colour … we used emerald green … apply the paint with a light touch and a random dabbing action.

Tip. Always load the pad sparingly … too much paint will give a heavy splattered finish and make sure you don’t have a build up of paint on the edges of the pad.

2 TONE SPONGING

1. Apply a base coat … we chose purple … and allow to dry.
2. Load the Faux Finish Wizard with your second colour … we used deep purple and apply with a light touch using a random dabbing action.
3. Once the second coat is dry repeat step 2 with your third colour … we used metallic gold.

Tip. Always load the pad sparingly … too much paint will give a heavy splattered finish and make sure you don’t have a build up of paint on the edges of the pad.

COLOURWASHING

1. Apply a base coat … we chose white … and allow to dry.
2. Load the Faux Finish Wizard with your primary colour … we used a deep mustard … then add a touch of your second colour … we used pale lemon to one end of the pad … so that you have 2 colours on the pad at once. Apply to the surface using a light random twisting action …this allows the 2 colours to blend together.

Tip. To subdue the finish blend more of the darker colour in … to highlight the finish blend more of the lighter colour in.

MARBLING

1. Apply a base coat … we chose white … this you work with while it’s wet so on a large area do about 1 sq metre at a time.
2. Load the Faux Finish Wizard with your second colour … we used turquoise … and apply the paint with a random dabbing action. As the base coat is still wet the 2 colours will blend together giving you different shades and hues.

Tip. To subdue the finish blend more of the darker colour in … to highlight the finish blend more of the lighter colour in.

Click here for Faux Finsh Wizard information

1. Apply a base coat … we chose light blue … and allow to dry.
2. Load the tips of the bristles of the Dragger Stippler with your second colour … we used white and apply to the surface using long sweeping strokes.

Tip. You can add more depth to the finish by allowing the second to dry and repeating step 2 with the base colour and work with your paint quite thin so you don’t get too much texture on the surface.

DRAGGING ON

1. Apply a base coat … we chose mid yellow … and allow to dry.
2. For the second coat you work with 3 shades that are reasonably close together … we used deep yellow … peachy red and a hint of brown. For this effect you use very little paint so pour a little of each colour on a saucer or the lid of the paint can. Don’t allow any drying time betwwen colours as you want them to blend together. Load the Dargger Stippler with deep yellow and apply with long sweeping strokes … repeat with the peachy red … then repeat sparingly with the brown.

Tip. To intensify the effect simply repeat step 2.

DRAGGING OFF

1. 1.Apply a base coat … we chose white … and allow to dry.
2. Apply a second colour … we used terracotta … this you work with while it’s wet so on a large area do about 1 sq metre at a time … use the Dragger Stippler in a wavy sweeping action to take part of the top coat off and reveal the base colour underneath.

Tip. Work with your paint quite thin for the top coat so you don’t get too much texture on the surface.

DISTRESSING

1. Apply a base coat … we chose dark green … and allow to dry.
2. Apply a second colour … we used sea green … this you work with while it’s wet so on a large area do about 1 sq metre at a time. Use the Dragger Stippler in an irregular swirling motion to remove part of the top coat and reveal the base colour underneath. Vary the pressure in random areas to give it age and character.

Tip. Work with your paint quite thin for the top coat so you don’t get too much texture on the surface.

Click here for more Dragger Stippler information

THIS TRANSFORMATION – start to finish was done in just – 1 HOUR and 50 MINUTES
Andy picked up a set of old book shelves for $10.00 at the local market … structurally they are really sound … but aesthetically they are definitely in need of some work. The book shelves are destined for a rustic country cottage so we need a rustic finish that will fit in with the existing decor … and a timber faux paint finish is the way to go.
The old white enamel paint on the shelves needs a quick sand back to make sure that we get good surface adherence with our paint.

We started by trying out some colour schemes with the Easi-Paint wood grainer.
This is a great little tool to work with … it’s really quick and easy to use and there’s so much you can do with it.
The wood grain tool creates its effect by taking wet paint off the surface … you do need to apply the paint quickly so that you can do this … so the Easi-Paint paint pads are the perfect answer … they’re a really quick method of application.

We are using the medium handle and we’re working with the Multi-purpose pads.
Andy wants a really tough long lasting finish on his bookshelf so we are working with a couple of different oil base stain varnish mediums.

The basic steps to create a wood grain effect with the wood grainer
First apply the paint to the surface … it’s best to work in small strips so that you don’t feel like you have to rush.
There is a graining comb on both sides of the wood grain tool … place one comb on the edge of the wood grainer on the wet paint that you’ve just applied … it’s stamped on the top of the tool which side you start off with … and there’s a comfortable grip that’s shaped for your thumb and fingers.

Remember that most timber has a straight grain … with just a few knots thrown in here and there … play with this tool first … its hard knot to get carried away … it really is a lot of fun.

As the wood grain tool is picking up wet paint as it goes you will need to keep a rag … I find that an old towel is best … and wipe the base of it clean from time to time … the thicker the paint you’re working with … the more often you need to do so.

Making the wood grain look rustic
Andy had decided on a Wattyl stain varnish in a colour called new baltic pine with a base coat in a shade called reddish rust.

Step 1

We applied the base coat of reddish rust to the bookshelf using the medium brush and the mini brush … both loaded with the multi-purpose pads … and we used the small paint tray as we’re only doing a small job.

The medium brush on its edge … so that we were using just the corner of the pad … got right into the grooves between the boards … and finished off the flat faces of the boards in no time.
The mini brush … with the pad placed in the handle in the corner position … did the right angle corners in moments … then with the pad in the flat edging position in the handle it was easy to get into the tight spots.

Step 2

The stain varnish we’re using for the top coat is an oil based medium … it has a long drying time which means that we have more time to work with it before it starts to set.
For this top coat we are using the medium brush and the mini brush … both with the multi-purpose pads … and the wood grain tool.

First we used the wood grainer to do a wood grain effect on a couple of the boards. We wanted the finish to be more like real distressed timber … so we then went back over the wood grain finish with the medium brush … without adding any more paint … and with very little pressure … we used light strokes to spread the stain varnish medium back over the boards … which was still wet … although starting to get a little tacky … but it was easy enough to work with.

The finishing touches

The little graining comb that comes with the wood grain tool is perfect for getting into the corners and doing the fiddly bits … and the mini brush was ideal for going back over the wood grain faux paint finish and smoothing it out around the edges before doing the flat faces of the boards with the medium brush.

This timber faux paint finish is exactly what we were looking for … the timber grain is still there but not as prominent … it really adds depth to the end result though … the base coat shows through in parts … and there are several shades of colour coming out in the new baltic stain varnish where we spread it out. It’s definitely a rustic timber look.

The final step was to use a little artists brush … you should always have one for these projects … to finish off any tiny bits that we may have missed.

Summary

It would be extremely difficult to do this project with an ordinary paint brush or roller as they just don’t have the versatility or the speed of application that paint pads do.

As the loading system delivers a measured amount of paint from the tray to the paint pads that you’re working with you never get those frustratingly obvious drips or runs in the work.

Andy is really pleased with the end result … his $10.00 bookshelf is completely transformed … it was fun to do … it was really quick and easy … and as it looks like old rustic timber … it will fit right in to his country cottage and look like it’s meant to be there.

Time taken    – 1 hours and 50 minutes from start to finish
10 minutes    – sanding preparation
10 minutes    – applying the base coat
30 minutes    – drying time
1 hour       - the top coat in a faux stain finish

Cost of the job
$      0          Easi-Paint Home Decorators kit ( reusable )
- 1 large paint tray with loading roller
- 1 small paint tray with loading roller
- 1 large brush with Multi-purpose pad
- 1 medium brush with Multi-purpose pad
- 1 mini brush with Multi-purpose pad
- 1 removable ceiling & high wall extension clip
( the Easi-Paint kit was costed in to the last project we did and now  … we reap the benefits )

$   25.00       Easi-Paint wood grainer and graining comb ( reusable )
$   12.50        Artists brush with good quality sable bristles ( reusable )
$    26.00      500ml can of Wattyl stain varnish ( over half a can left for the next job )
$    10.00       Timber bookshelf
$    73.50

The Easi-Paint kit … the pads … and all of the accessories are fully reusable so we can use our painting system to do a whole heap of different projects.

Mark is our neighbour in Brisbane … he runs Stockade fencing and has been using the Easi-Paint Home Decorator kit on his job sites for years and he loves it. He had a fencing job on around the corner so we went along to film the kit in action with timber oil on both old and new timber.
The existing fence had been up for some years and as it gets the full afternoon sun the timber was dry and weathered. Previously it had been coated with a Sikkens timber oil that had a dark Mahogany tint so it needed a good sanding back before they could start and the access was a little tricky.

Mark and Laura are working with water based timber oil by Intergrain called Ultra Deck. The medium is very thin and runny in consistency so they are working with the Stain, Oil & Varnish pads which clip straight into the Easi-Paint handles … these pads have a shorter, finer bristle and are designed to give greater control with the finer timber mediums.

Laura is working with the large brush and the small paint tray … as it’s easy to manage up the ladder. First she’s oiling the top and bottom edges of the slats before finishing off on the flat face of the timber. The oil will protect the timber from deterioration so it’s important that each coat is complete with solid coverage.

The first coat is the hardest as the old timber is really dry and thirsty … the timber oil really soaks into the fence … it is nourishing the timber and bringing out the beautiful natural colours of the existing hard wood slats.

A new section of fence is being built to enclose the rest of the back yard. The new timber slats have been pre-oiled with the Stain, Oil & Varnish pads on saw horses before cutting to size and will only need a top coat once the fence is up.
Pre-coating the timber you are working with saves a lot of time.  While Mark waits for the oil to dry he pitches in with the medium brush on the existing fence and uses the large paint tray.

The jobs almost done

Mark completes the second coat of Ultra Deck on the new fence which he’d pre-coated while Laura applies the finishing touches to the existing fence. The new fence which is done in Kwila timber  … is   looking absolutely gorgeous after its second coat of oil …there’s really nice rich warm golden hues.
Once the front garden … which was pruned right back prior to the job … has regrown along the front fence the darker timber colour of the existing fence will highlight the new one … it will become the feature of the driveway and it will look fantastic.

Summary

Time taken – 6.5 hours
5 hours         –  sanding and surface preparation on the old timber fence. No preparation on the new timber.
1.5 hours      –  2 coats of timber Oil on both the old and the new fences inside and out

The existing fence  is  -  8m on the front … 4m on the side … and 1.75m high
The new fence is  -  5m on the front … 1.5m on the side … and 1.5m high

What they used on this job from the EASI-PAINT HOME DECORATORS kit
    – large paint tray with loading roller  (Reusable)
    – small tray with loading roller  (Reusable)
    – large brush with Stain, Oil & Varnish pad  (Reusable)
    - medium brush with Stain, Oil & Varnish pad  (Reusable)

The entire project only used 3 litres of Ultra Deck timber oil for 2 coats on both fences and the Stain, Oil & Varnish pads cleaned up well … they’re still in good condition and ready to use again.

The walls of our room had been patched and sanded prior to the job but we could still see some faults so we decided on a faux paint finish to disguise them and make our room feel like new.

We are working with the Easi-Paint DIY Home Decorator kit … it is very economical with paint usage …  the system only uses half the amount of water based paint that ordinary brushes or rollers do … quick and easy application … and it has a loading system that measures the right amount of paint to from the tray to the brush. Great coverage and there’s no mess to clean up at the end of the job.

Step 1

We had applied 2 coats of undercoat with the Multi-purpose pads and were now doing 2 coats of British Paints China White low sheen paint on all the walls with the Multi-purpose pads… this is the base coat.
Our water base paint has been mixed to the consistency of pouring cream and it really flows on the surface.

Always do the cutting in and edging first … then it’s an easy matter of filling in the larger areas.
For the edging we’re using the mini brush … make sure the guard that you’re using is free of wet paint and use a light touch … it’s just the weight of the brush that you work with. As the guard sits against the surface you don’t want to paint and keeps that surface clear of paint …  this little brush saves hours of messing around and does a great job.

For the walls we’re using the large brush  … load it using the loading system in the paint tray … apply the paint to the surface you’re working on …  about 1 sq metre at a time … you can apply it in any direction … then always  … go back over the work while it’s still wet and lightly lay it off in one direction to get a smooth uniform finish … a light touch is important … you don’t need pressure.
Move to the next section …  repeat the process … and you’re at the end in no time.

Now we start on the Faux Finish
We are using a faux finish technique that we call FINE DISTRESSING … which is a simple method of applying paint then taking some of the wet paint off to expose parts of the base colour.

Step 2

One wall painted a darker colour makes the room feel bigger so on the far wall we used a Dulux colour called Reddish Rust as a top coat … this was also a low sheen paint … which we like to use as it’s a washable surface and has a nice sheen to it that makes the faux paint finishes feel clean and modern.
Load the large brush sparingly with paint for this technique.

The paint is only applied to small areas at a time with the large handle and the Multi-purpose pad … then while the paint is still wet … using the medium Easi-Paint Honeycomb Stippler pad in the medium handle in a random half twisting motion … it’s just enough to rough up the surface … you take some of the wet paint off.

You only use a light touch and you don’t need a uniform finish … so the less you think about your hand movement the easier it is and the better the result.
Move along to the next small area and before you know it … it’s pretty quick … you have created a flowing paint effect that’s a little like stone. It looks textured … yet it’s still smooth to the touch … and it’s amazingly easy to do.

This faux paint finish has a lot of great movement and variation to it as the light changes.

Tip: On a hot day the paint dries too fast and it’s harder to work with … I’ve found that you can add a product called ‘Floetrol’ to the paint to give you a little more time before the paint starts to set.

The difference in paint finishes

Step 3

On the other walls we used the same faux finish technique but the top coat was only a slightly darker shade of a low sheen off white called pale feather by British Paints. As these 2 colours are very close together on the colour spectrum this is a very subtle paint finish … the faults are disguised with a very natural earthy texture. It looks like cream coloured stone and makes me think of sandy beaches.
Faux paint finishes originated many years ago from people imitating the colours and textures of nature and they can be bold or soft … your choice of colour is all that makes the difference to your end result.

Start at the edges with the Honeycomb Stippler. You are using a random half twist action to take some of the paint off. The twisting action will blend the paint into the last section that you did and you will never see where you stopped and started … there are no dark overlaps.

If you’re doing a big job once in a while you will need to wipe any excess paint off the Honeycomb Stippler on to a rag to stop it clogging up.

Almost to the end … it’s coming along well.

Step 4

The final step was the trim work. We had sanded back all the trim to bare wood before we’d started painting the walls … as you can see on our time schedule below.

We used a Wattyl English mahogany stain … as the richness of colour perfectly offset the natural earthy shades of the paint work … on the windows, the architrave, the skirting boards and lastly to match it all in … the pelmets on our timber blinds.

For this work we used the Stain, Oil & Varnish pads that clip straight into our Easi-Paint handles. These pads are designed to give you more control with thinner, finer timber mediums. They are a much shorter, finer grade of bristle that’s as soft as velvet. They gave us a perfectly even professional finish with the Stain and it was done in no time.

We used the mini brush on the edges for a crisp clean line and the medium brush on the larger areas of the trim … and we used the small paint tray for the smaller jobs.

Then we finished the trim work with 4 coats of Feast Watson floor seal. As floor seal is quite thin and runny we used the Stain, Oil & Varnish pads again … they make these jobs really quick and easy as the pads mould to the contours of the surface you’re working on and shape themselves to the timber mouldings … there is no waste and the results are outstanding.
Floor seal is good to work with … easy to apply … it’s really tough when it’s dry and with every coat you put on the lustre increases so you can choose the level of sheen that you want.

We chose to delineate the feature wall with curved mouldings in the corners which we did in a lighter stain and finished them the same way.
We are really pleased with the end result … the transformation is fantastic. We came in under budget … we finished 1 half days earlier than the allotted time and we had no mess to clean up at the end.

Summary

Time taken   –         4 days & 3 hours from start to finish
1  day      – patching plaster … sanding walls … skirting boards, architrave and windows
1 day       -2 coats of undercoat and 2 coats of the base colour … and waiting for the paint to dry
3 hours    – the top coat in the faux paint finish on 4 walls
2 days      -staining skirting boards , architrave, windows & the pelmet and 4 coats of  floor seal on the skirting boards, architrave, windows & the pelmet  
                   (most of this time was waiting for the stain and the floor seal to dry between coats – the actual painting time was about  1 hour 50 minutes )
Cost of the job
$   95.00       1 Easi-Paint Home Decorators kit (reusable)
                       – 1 large paint tray with loading roller
                       – 1 small paint tray with loading roller
                       – 1 large brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       – 1 medium brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       - 1 mini brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       – 1 removable ceiling & high wall extension clip
$   15.00       1 Easi-Paint medium Honeycomb Stippler pad  (reusable)
$   25.00       1 Set of 3 Easi-Paint Stain, Oil & Varnish pads  (reusable)
$   26.00       plaster and sandpaper
$ 105.00       undercoat and paint (still got plenty left)
$   75.00       timber stain and floor seal (still a little of both left)
$341.00         of which $135 won’t have to be spent on the next projects

The kit and the pads are fully reusable so we can use the system over and over again.
This is the first of many projects we will share with you  …  with a large range of clip-in paint pads for all sorts of different jobs there’s nothing we can’t do.

Dirk is painting his mums bathroom … it’s a small job as the room is only 3m x 3m and half of the area is tiled. We got there as he was doing the last coat on the plaster walls.

He is working with the Easi-Paint DIY Home Decorator kit … it is very economical with paint usage …  the system only uses half the amount of water based paint that ordinary brushes or rollers do … quick and easy application … and it has a loading system that measures the right amount of paint to from the tray to the brush. Great coverage and there’s no mess to clean up at the end of the job.
He’s using is a Bristol low sheen acrylic paint and working with the Multi-purpose pads.

The cutting in was done with the mini brush … always do the hard jobs first as the project you’re working on then gets easier as you go. With this little brush you simply make sure that the guard you’re working with is free of wet paint … the guard sits against the surface you don’t want to paint and protects it and the paint pad in the mini brush gets right up to the very edge.
Don’t use any pressure  … a light touch is the key to a good job … you only work with the weight of the brush itself on the surface that you’re painting.
Too much pressure will squeeze the paint out of the paint pad and make a blotchy mess.

On the large areas Dirk is working with the large brush and he’s using the large paint tray.

To make sure he keeps his clean line around the trim work Dirk has cleaned the wet paint from the protective guard of the large brush … these guards butts up against the architrave … under the cornice … and against the edge of the tiles where they meet the wall.
The guards on the large brush keep you 2mm away from the surface so the paint you’re applying blends into to the edging that’s already been done for a totally seamless finish.

The walls are easy … load the brush using the loading system in the paint tray … apply the paint to the surface … Dirk is doing about 1 square metre at a time … and he’s only using very light pressure.

It doesn’t matter how you apply the paint … you can work in any direction to get it on initially … what’s important on a flat surface is to always go back over the work  while the paint is still wet and lightly … with just the weight of the brush … lay it off in one direction to even it out and get a smooth professional finish.
Move along the wall to the next section … repeat the action  … and the job is finished in no time at all.

The pale shade of yellow works really well … it’s light enough to keep the room feeling spacious … the hint of colour feels warm and sunny … and it delineates the white trim work and the white tiles.

Time taken     –     44 minutes
7 minutes    – 1st coat
7 minutes    – top coat
30 minutes drying time between coats
Cost of the job
$   95.00       Easi-Paint Home Decorators kit (reusable)
                       – 1 large paint tray with loading roller
                       – 1 small paint tray with loading roller
                       – 1 large brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       – 1 medium brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       – 1 mini brush with Multi-purpose pad
                       – 1 removable ceiling & high wall extension clip
$   22.00        - 1 litre of low sheen acrylic paint ( still got some left )
$117.00

Dirk only used part of the Easi-Paint kit for this job … he has a lot of work ahead of him and as the kit and the pads are fully reusable … he will get loads of use out of them.