Painting Techniques - using paint pads

Paint pads come in different sizes. They are flat and rectangular with closely packed, short fibres bonded to a foam backing strip, which makes the pad flexible.

Pads are good for painting large areas with liquid paint - the bigger the pad, the faster you cover the surface.

They make less pray and mess than rollers, but they do need reloaded more often. Use a paint pad tray with a built-in ribbed roller on which excess paint can be removed.

1. Pour the paint into the paint tray, then draw the pad over the built-in roller to distribute the paint evenly and remove excess - a paint pad will give a patchy finish if it is loaded unevenly, and will drip if there is too much paint.

2. Start painting near a corner and work in strips about four times the width of your pad. Keeping the pad flat on the wall, move it up and down the surface with a gentle scrubbing action.