Painting and decorating question.

[Krouch 10]

Hi I'm about to start a 2 year course in painting and decorating to get a level 2 diploma at the end of it.

 

I intend afterwards to also learn plastering and tiling after as they in my opinion tie in fairly well with each other.

 

My question is what is the work for painting and decorating like and would I be able to join a company (ie council, commercial painters) fairly easily after I have completed my course?

 

It's something I want to do but I don't want to waste 2 years if there isn't much work for it both domestically or commercially.

 

I've researched abit, but would like opinions as well.

Thanks.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Krouch
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[top4718 838]

Like all trades what you do in the classroom is a very small part of it, its picking up experience and speed that are the key factors, it might be worth trying to pick up a few jobs whilst on the course.

[Thorpist 72]

Good luck to you.

Quality is the key to getting work in painting and decorating.

A good reputation will bring work to your door and people will pay extra for quality work.

Try to find a good tradesman who will let you do the less skilled work with him on larger projects.

This will give you good experience whilst still doing the course.

[Starlc 11]

Personally i would be doing the plastering / tiling first as its a much harder trade and not anyone can just do it.

 

He waits for the painters !

[Margarita Ma 10]

Personally i would be doing the plastering / tiling first as its a much harder trade and not anyone can just do it.

 

He waits for the painters !

 

I would modify that slightly.

People tend to think they can do some things and not others. Decorating is one of the things that some people will try to do themselves. They very often do a crap job because they don't prepare properly.

People in general will get someone to do jobs when they involve heavy lifting and a skill that has not been made to seem easy on some Makeover TV. Show.

Decorating is a finishing trade and often denigrated by macho builders without the finesse and knowledge of how to make a presentable finish. Plastering and tiling are heavier trades where a person needs to be able to carry weight, have good eyesight, judgement of colour change to see when the plaster is ready for finishing and speed. Being tall helps as reach is important as is balance, some plasterers use stilts to skim ceilings and higher up on walls others prefer scaffold and batting. Talk to people in the trade before taking on any courses that cost you money and may waste your time.

[Starlc 11]

I would modify that slightly.

People tend to think they can do some things and not others. Decorating is one of the things that some people will try to do themselves. They very often do a crap job because they don't prepare properly.

People in general will get someone to do jobs when they involve heavy lifting and a skill that has not been made to seem easy on some Makeover TV. Show.

Decorating is a finishing trade and often denigrated by macho builders without the finesse and knowledge of how to make a presentable finish. Plastering and tiling are heavier trades where a person needs to be able to carry weight, have good eyesight, judgement of colour change to see when the plaster is ready for finishing and speed. Being tall helps as reach is important as is balance, some plasterers use stilts to skim ceilings and higher up on walls others prefer scaffold and batting. Talk to people in the trade before taking on any courses that cost you money and may waste your time.

 

Prep is the key to everything from painting cars walls to plastering but anybody with a bit of diy experience can get a good paint finish in there home. What i was saying is that anybody can pick up a roller and do a bit of painting ? Not Anyone can just do a bit of plastering as they dont understand it ??

 

Im not taking anything away from painters/decorators as they are skilled tradesmen that must have the patience of a saint to do what they do but if it was me i would be doing the plastering/tiling as in my opinion it is more skilled and harder to learn, with the plastering it is easy to learn to skim a wall and i have taught my labourers in a week but speed, ceilings, corners, beads, browning, ..........

 

Totally different story, time, understanding your materials is the key !

Edited March 30, 2016 by Starlc