Painting and Decorating

Explore painting and decorating in plain English, with practical context, common distinctions and questions to ask before work starts.

Start with the entries below. They are part of a growing reference library, not an exhaustive technical specification or a substitute for specialist assessment.

Caulking

Caulking fills or seals specified joints using a suitable product, often as part of decorating. A paintable decorator's caulk differs from a wet-area silicone sealant or a tested fire-stopping product. The joint, movement, exposure and finish determine what is appropriate; the word caulk does not identify one universal material.

Getting into painting and decorating

Painting and decorating is the assessment, preparation and finishing of surfaces using compatible coatings or wallcoverings. The trade needs product knowledge, protection and an agreed finish, not just quick brushwork. A trainee should understand when an existing surface needs investigation rather than stronger sanding or another coat.

Masonry paint

Masonry paint is a coating selected for a suitable masonry or render background. Products vary in appearance, water resistance, vapour behaviour and application conditions. It is not a universal waterproof barrier, structural repair or cure for every damp wall, and a product intended for one surface may not suit another.

Mist coat

A mist coat is a suitably thinned first paint coat used on dry, porous new plaster where the paint manufacturer specifies that approach. It helps prepare the surface for later coats. It is not a standard ratio of any leftover paint and water, and it is not a remedy for damp or unsound plaster.

Primer

A primer is a preparatory coating selected to help a compatible finishing system perform on a particular surface. It may address adhesion, suction or other defined requirements. Primer, undercoat, stain blocker and stabiliser are not universally interchangeable, and one multipurpose label does not prove suitability for every background.

Wood filler

Wood filler repairs suitable local defects as part of a specified timber-finishing process. Products differ in composition, movement, exposure and coating compatibility. A decorative filler is not automatically a structural repair, a treatment for decay or a substitute for investigating why a joint or damaged area has failed.

Last editorial check: 8 November 2026.