Painting and Decorating Guides

These guides are written by the decorators at PDS Painting Birmingham to explain how painting jobs are done properly. Each one is honest about what you can realistically do yourself, what usually goes wrong, and the point where paying a professional is worth it. They’re grouped by topic rather than date, so you can go straight to the one that answers your question.

How the Guides Are Organised

Each group starts with the questions we hear most often, so the most useful guide is usually first.

Pricing and Planning - what a painter and decorator costs in Birmingham and how long rooms and houses take, so you can budget and plan.
Interior - new plaster, mould, stains, drying times, woodwork, ceilings, wall preparation and choosing between paint finishes.
Tools - looking after brushes and rollers between coats and once the job is done.
Wallpaper - whether to paint over old paper or strip it first.
Exterior - masonry and render paints, preparation and the weather you need for outside work.
Windows and Doors - painting a timber front door so the finish lasts.
Garden Woodwork - paint, stain or oil for fences and decking, best tackled in spring and summer.
Coving - fitting new coving and painting it in neatly.
Industrial - for business owners, the types of epoxy floor coating and why concrete preparation matters.
Choosing a Decorator - what to check and ask before you hire anyone, us included.

Pricing and Planning

Painter and Decorator Prices in Birmingham (2026 Guide)What decides the cost of painting a room, a whole house or an exterior in Birmingham, and how to compare decorators' quotes like for like.How Long Does It Take to Paint a Room or a House?Rough timescales for a room, a hallway, a whole house and the outside, and the things that make a job run longer.

Interior

Mist Coats and Painting New PlasterWhen fresh plaster is dry enough to paint, which paint to thin for a mist coat, and how to stop new paint peeling.Anti-Mould Paint and Painting Bathrooms: What Works and What Doesn'tWhat anti-mould paint can and can't do, why mould keeps coming back, and how to treat and paint a bathroom so the finish lasts.Stain Block Paint: Painting Over Water, Smoke and Nicotine StainsWhy water, smoke and nicotine marks bleed through emulsion, which type of stain block to use, and how to seal each stain properly.Paint Finishes Explained: Matt, Silk, Eggshell, Satin and GlossMatt, silk, eggshell, satin and gloss compared, with the right finish for walls, ceilings and woodwork and how oil and water-based paints differ.How Long Paint Takes to Dry and How Many Coats You NeedTouch dry, recoat and fully cured times for common household paints, plus how many coats walls, ceilings and woodwork really need.How to Paint Skirting Boards, Woodwork and RadiatorsStep-by-step methods for skirting boards, architraves, doors, banisters and radiators, with the prep and paint choices that make the finish last.How to Paint a Ceiling: How We Do It, Step by StepOur step-by-step ceiling method - cutting in, rolling in strips away from the light, and dealing with stained, cracked or textured ceilings.Preparing Walls for Painting: Filling Cracks and SandingClean, fill, sand and spot-prime: the six steps that decide whether a paint finish looks professional, and when filler isn't enough.

Wallpaper

Painting Over Wallpaper vs Removing ItA quick check to see whether your wallpaper can be painted, how to do it properly, and how to strip it cleanly when it can't.

Tools

How to Clean Paint Brushes (Water-Based and Oil-Based Paint)Cleaning brushes and rollers after water-based or oil-based paint, keeping them wet between coats and disposing of paint water responsibly.

Exterior

Masonry and Render Painting: Paints, Prep and TimingChoosing masonry paint by wall type, preparing render, pebbledash and lime walls, and timing exterior painting around British weather.

Windows and Doors

How to Paint a Front Door (Timber Doors)Preparing and painting a wooden front door in the right order, with the timing that lets you close and lock it the same day.

Industrial

Epoxy Floor Coatings ExplainedThe main types of epoxy floor coating, where each works, how it is applied and why concrete preparation decides how long it lasts.

Choosing a Decorator

How to Choose a Painter and Decorator (and What to Ask)Seven checks to run before you book any painter and decorator, the red flags to watch for and how to compare quotes fairly.

Garden Woodwork

Fence and Decking: Paint, Stain or Oil?Paint, stain or oil compared for garden fences and decking, with preparation steps, the best weather and the mistakes that cause peeling.

Coving

How to Fit and Paint CovingFit coving step by step, from guide lines and mitred corners to adhesive, filling and painting, and know when to hand it over.

When a Job Is Better Left to a Decorator

Plenty of painting is within reach of a careful DIYer. It usually stops paying off in three places:

Height. Tall stairwells and high ceilings need proper access equipment, and a ladder on a staircase is a real fall risk.
Large exteriors. Whole elevations, upstairs windows and fascias mean towers or scaffolding, plus a run of dry weather.
Finishes where preparation shows. Woodwork and new plaster expose every shortcut once the topcoat is on.

If your job falls into one of these, see the painting and decorating services we offer.

Talk to a Decorator

If a guide has shown the job is bigger than you thought, call 0121 752 9229 or ask for a free quote.

Questions About Our Guides

Who writes these guides?

The PDS decorating team, drawing on over 27 years in the trade. The methods are the ones we use on our own jobs. Find out more about PDS Painting Birmingham.

Are the guides for DIY or for choosing a decorator?

Both. Each guide explains what's realistic to do yourself and where a professional saves time or gets a better result.

Can you give me a price for my job?

Our painter and decorator price guide explains what affects the cost. For a real figure, we'll visit and give you a written quote.

Will you add more guides?

Yes. New guides are added to the relevant group as they're written.

Do the price guides use real Birmingham prices?

Yes. Any figures in our price guide come from our own pricing for jobs in Birmingham, not national averages. Your own quote is still worked out after a visit.