Painters and decorators

Description

Those working in this unit group apply paint, varnish, wallpaper and other protective and decorative materials to interior and exterior walls and surfaces, paint designs on wood, glass, metal, plastics and other materials, and stain, wax and French polish wood surfaces by hand.

Tasks

• Erects working platform or scaffolding up to five metres in height
• Prepares surfaces by cleaning, sanding and filling cracks and holes with appropriate filler
• Applies primer, undercoat and finishing coat(s) using brush, roller, or spray equipment
• Mixes adhesive or removes self-adhesive backing and positions covering material on wall, matching up patterns where appropriate and removing wrinkles and air bubbles by hand or brush
• Stains, waxes and French polishes wood surfaces by hand

Educational Requirements

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ Level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.