Decorating Sequence Planner

Who this is for

Decide the order before the first tin is opened. Each line is one surface in one room, numbered in the order it will be done, with the product and colour, the coats, the planned date, the drying time you are allowing and the furniture that has to move first.

Homeowners decorating several rooms, or a whole house, who need to plan around drying time, somewhere to put the furniture and other trades still working in the house.

What this helps you track

• The order rooms and surfaces will be decorated in
• Product, colour and number of coats for each surface
• The date each one is planned and the drying time allowed
• Which furniture has to move, and where to
• Each room's progress from cleared to put back

How to use it

1. Write the property, the rooms in scope and the planned start and finish at the top.
2. List every surface in every room: ceiling, walls, woodwork and floor on separate lines.
3. Number the lines in the order you will do them, working around other trades and rooms that must stay in use.
4. Copy the drying or recoat time from the product itself into the drying column, and plan the next date from it.
5. Note the furniture to move for each line and where it will go while the work is done.
6. Tick each line as it is finished and work down the room checklist until everything is back in place.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What order should the surfaces go in?

Many decorators work from the top down so drips land on surfaces not yet finished, but your own order may differ with the products and the room. The sequence column is there for the order you decide, not a set one.

Where do the drying times come from?

From the tin, the data sheet or the retailer for the exact product you are using, along with anything the conditions in the room suggest. The sheet supplies no drying times of its own.

How does this fit with other trades?

Put anything booked, such as a carpet fitter or electrician, into the notes and plan the sequence around it, so a freshly painted skirting is not scuffed by a floor going down the next morning.

Can I use it with a paint quantity calculator?

Yes. Work out the quantities first, then use this planner for the order and dates. The product and colour column here should match the list you buy from.