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Painter and Decorator

Painters and decorators apply paint, varnish, wallpaper and other finishes to protect, maintain and decorate interior and exterior surfaces of domestic, commercial and industrial buildings and other structures.

Painters and decorators may concentrate on a specific area of work, such as the internal or external painting of domestic homes, commercial buildings, industrial structures and equipment.

They may also concentrate exclusively on restoration work.

Due to occupational health and safety laws, most painters work from work platforms, elevated work platforms or built-up scaffolds erected by qualified personnel.

They have to do a lot of bending and stretching.

TASKS

Painters and decorators may perform the following tasks:

determine the quantity of materials needed for the job by taking surface measurements or by looking at job specifications or drawings
renove old paint or paper using sanders, scrapers, heat guns, liquid paint removers and steam strippers as appropriate prepare surfaces by fixing woodwork; filling or sealing holes, cracks and joints; and washing them down using high pressure wash systems to remove dust and grease
select and prepare paints to match colours by adding tinters
brush, roll or spray paints, stains, varnishes and other finishes
when wallpapering, set out the area according to the pattern match and starting point in the room, cut the paper to the appropriate length, apply paste to the back of each strip and hang the paper on the wall, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles
spray paint surfaces using a spray gun or specialised equipment
apply decorative paint finishes such as stencils, colour glaze, graining, marbling and lettering, gold leaf and texture finishes
wash equipment and clean work areas

PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

able to cope with the physical demands of the job
able to work at heights
enjoy practical work
good hand-eye coordination
normal colour vision
good sense of balance
able to work independently or as part of a team

Interest Area

EDUCATION & TRAINING

To become a painter and decorator you usually have to complete an apprenticeship in Painting and Decorating.

Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require Year 10.

Additional Information

In NSW, painters and decorators carrying out work valued at more than $1000 are required to either hold, or work under someone who holds, a valid building contractor's licence issued by NSW Fair Trading. See www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au for more information.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Painters and decorators are usually employed by painting and decorating contracting firms, or are self-employed contractors. Some work for government agencies concerned with public works, housing and railways. Advancement to supervisory positions, technical training or sales work is possible.

Opportunities for painters mainly depend on the level of building and renovation activity.