It tends to dry more quickly than other paints. The surface should be touch-dry after 1-2 hours and can be recoated after 2-4 hours.

Also, because emulsion dries by evaporation of its water content (see above) it is a good idea to keep windows closed while painting to prevent the paint from drying too quickly. When the work is finished it is a good idea to open the windows to remove the moisture from the atmosphere and get rid of any paint smells.

What sort of finish will I get?

When paints dry they produce varying grades of sheen. These range from matt or flat finishes through increasing degrees of lustre to high gloss finishes. So silk finishes give a silken sheen to the finish, an eggshell finish closely resembles the lustre of an eggshell and so on.

It's worth bearing in mind that different manufacturers sometimes use varying names for their finishes ? one may say 'silk finish', another, 'semi matt'. So check the sample cards to make sure of what you are getting.

What choice of colour have I got?

Very wide. Most paint manufacturers produce a colour chart showing the colours that are available. These charts vary in quality but most of them are laid out linking colours and shades together to help you choose the one you want. The colours available are updated from season to season - new ones are introduced and the less popular ones may be discontinued.

If the colour you want is not available in the basic colour range most specialist paint shops and some general DIY shops can mix the colour you want for a slightly higher price. The stockist has a series of basic colours and a machine with different colour?ants. Using a mixing guide and a shaker it's possible to make upwards of 800 other colours for you. However, it's important to make sure you buy as much as you need. If you have to buy extra, it is by no means guaranteed that it will be exactly the same shade. If you do run out, try to finish on a complete wall. In this case, any variation will only show at the join in the corner.

There do seem to be so many colours in the shops. Are they standardized in any way?

In the UK, some are. At the beginning of 1982 the major paint manufacturers agreed to standardize 66 emulsion colours to a British standard. This is called British Standard (BS) 4800 and it can be useful if you want to match up a colour at a later stage - provid?ing you make a note of the BS 4800 number. And since all paint manufacturers make a BS range, it doesn't matter whose paint you use.

Summary

Well that's that from the exciting world of emulsion, if you follow the advice in this guide you won't go far wrong. Remember people if you measure twice, you'll only have to cut once.