Tools and Workplace Practices in Painting and Decorating
This domain tests your knowledge of the painter's kit - which brush, roller sleeve, putty knife or abrasive suits a given coating and surface - and how a well-run workplace keeps tools and people productive.
Brushes, rollers and abrasives
- Natural bristle (hog) suits oil-based enamel, varnish and primer because the filaments stay stiff; it swells and softens in water-based paint. Synthetic (nylon/polyester) is for emulsion and other water-based products.
- Widths: 25–50 mm cutting-in or sash brush for edges and frames, 75–100 mm for general trim, 150 mm for large flat areas.
- Roller nap rises with roughness: 4–6 mm for smooth plaster and gloss work, 10–12 mm for normal walls, 18–25 mm for rough masonry and texture.
- Abrasive grit follows a sequence: 60–80 for heavy removal, 100–120 for filler shaping, 150–180 before primer, 220–320 between finish coats. The higher the number, the finer the cut.
Workplace practice
Keep a tool board, clean brushes with the correct thinner then soap and water, dry them flat or hang bristles down, and never stand a brush on its bristles. Store abrasive sheets flat and dry. Use drop sheets and masking tape, keep a dust-free zone, and inspect ladders, planks and extension leads daily.
Worked example
A filled timber panel needs a full sequence. Reasoning: coarse grit on filler removes excess fast but leaves deep scratches that show through gloss. So: 80 to shape, 120 to flatten, 180 before primer, then 240 between undercoat and gloss, always with the grain and a sanding block.
Traps that cost marks
Using 40 grit on plaster; dipping a roller to its core; using natural bristle in emulsion; cleaning enamel brushes in water.