When tackling a painting project, especially at home, one of the most common dilemmas people face is deciding whether to paint skirtings or walls first. It might seem like a small decision, but the order in which you paint plays a crucial role in achieving a clean, professional finish.
This blog explores the benefits of choosing the right sequence—painting walls or skirtings first—and how this can elevate the overall look of your space.
Why Painting Order Matters
Deciding whether to start with the walls or skirtings can have a significant impact on:
The overall appearance of your paint job.
The time and effort spent achieving a neat finish.
Avoiding accidental smudges and overlapping paint lines.
A well-organized approach saves time, minimizes errors, and ensures the final look is polished and seamless.
What Happens When You Paint Skirtings First?
Painting skirtings (baseboards) first is a favored method among professionals for several reasons. Here are some benefits of starting with the skirtings:
1. Protecting Skirtings with Minimal Effort
When the skirtings are painted first, you can easily mask or tape them off later when you’re ready to paint the walls. This prevents color overlap and ensures that the crisp line between the walls and skirtings remains intact.
If the skirtings are left for last, you’ll need more precision to prevent accidentally smudging paint from the walls onto them—a task that can be tedious and time-consuming.
2. Creating a Guide for Tidy Wall Edges
Fresh skirtings serve as a visual guide for cutting in—the process of painting straight lines where the wall meets the skirtings. This makes it much easier to achieve neat edges along the bottom of the wall.
3. Reducing the Risk of Drips and Smudges
Walls often require more paint, and accidental drips are more likely to land on already-painted skirtings if you’re not careful. Painting the skirtings first reduces the necessity to clean up these potential mistakes.
What Happens When You Paint Walls First?
On the other hand, beginning with the walls is also a popular option and comes with its own set of advantages. Here’s why some people go this route:
1. Faster Large Area Coverage
Painting the walls first allows you to focus on the larger, more time-consuming task before dealing with the fine details of the skirtings. Walls typically require more coats of paint, so front-loading this effort may feel more efficient.
2. Masking Paint Overlap on Skirtings
When walls are painted first, any unintentional paint drips onto the skirtings are not a problem because they’ll be painted over later. Thus, masking mistakes becomes relatively easy.
3. Flexibility with Wall Color Changes
If you plan to repaint walls frequently, starting with the larger surfaces ensures better paint coverage. This also reduces the visual distraction of unfinished walls while you work on precision tasks like skirtings.
Optimizing for the Best Results
Most professionals agree that no matter where you start, preparation is key to achieving a perfect finish when painting. Here are some tips for success:
Clean and Sand the Surface
Properly clean and sand the skirtings and walls before you begin painting. Dirty or uneven surfaces will affect how well the paint adheres.
Mask the Area
Use painter’s tape to protect edges, windows, and any non-paintable surfaces. This will prevent drips and smudges.
Invest in Quality Brushes
A high-quality angled brush will give you better control while painting edges around skirtings or walls.