Painting, Decorating and POP Ceilings

Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate, including school leavers, women's groups and persons with disabilities. National Proficiency I is the first level of Ghana's TVET framework.

Why painting and decorating

• Painting is one of the trades where demand for skilled workers is expected to grow faster than the supply of trained people.
• The work needs modest tools to start. Many beginners start by working for a painter, then build a small gang of their own.
• Pay varies widely. On one salary website, 80% of painters earned between GH¢1,629 and GH¢6,107 gross per month, but fewer than 20 people had answered, so treat it as a rough guide only.
• Women and persons with disabilities can do many finishing jobs. Unit 7 lists which tasks suit which adjustments.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical.

Every unit ends with a practical task, homework and a Check yourself with three quick questions. Where there is arithmetic, there is also a class exercise.

Safety gates

You may not do the following at this level:

• Work on a ladder without first checking it and setting it up properly.
• Spray two-pack (polyurethane) paints. They contain isocyanates, and spraying needs special air-fed breathing equipment.
• Build a tower scaffold. Exterior high work is for a trained scaffold gang.
• Dry-sand or burn old paint. It may contain lead.
• Mix cleaning chemicals together, or pour paint, thinners or washings into drains or soil.

Competency standard

Range. The training workshop and a practice wall. Evidence. PPE check; ladder checklist; oral questions.

Why safety matters

• Falls. A ladder that slips or tips can injure you badly. HSE (UK) says a ladder is a last choice: use one only when the risk is low and the job is short, and use a platform or tower if the job is bigger.
• Dust. Sanding filler, plaster and old paint puts fine dust in the air and in your lungs.
• Lead. Ghana's standard limits lead in paint to 90 ppm (parts per million), and it has been compulsory since February 2023. But the EPA says there is no law yet to enforce it, and a 2023 study found 6 of 59 home paints (about 10%) above the limit. Old walls may carry old, leaded paint. Children are the most at risk, and there is no known safe level of lead exposure.
• Solvent fumes. Gloss paint and thinners give off vapour. Some paints contain isocyanates, and spraying them is much riskier than brushing.
• Fire. Rags soaked in solvent or oil-based finish can catch fire. Oil-based finish rags can heat up by themselves.

Your PPE (personal protective equipment)

A paper dust mask is not a vapour mask. A disposable mask with a carbon layer only takes the edge off smells. It does not protect you from solvent vapour, and the maker warns not to use it for lead-based paint. For solvent paint, use a half-mask with A1P2 cartridges, check the seal on your face (a beard stops the seal), and replace the cartridge when you smell or taste solvent or it is hard to breathe. Ventilation comes first; the mask is the back-up.

Ghana's own rule for painters' PPE standards was not found (not verified), so follow the maker's instructions and your trainer.

Working at height: ladders

These rules come from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Ghana's own ladder rules were not found (not verified), but the physics is the same.

Leaning (straight) ladder:

• Set it at a slope of 1 in 4, about 75 degrees. That means the foot is 1 m out from the wall for every 4 m of height.
• It must reach at least 1 m (or 3 rungs) above where you step off or work.
• Do not work off the top three rungs.
• Tie it or have a helper stand on the bottom so it cannot slip.
• Rest it on a strong, firm place, not on glass or plastic gutters.
• Keep three points of contact (two feet and one hand) when climbing.
• Stay at least 6 m away from overhead power lines unless they are dead or insulated.

Stepladder:

• All four feet on firm, level ground, locks engaged.
• Do not stand or work on the top three steps unless there is something to hold.
• Do not lean sideways. Move the ladder instead.

Scaffolds and towers. Do not erect a tower yourself. Foreign guidance says towers should be built only by trained people, platforms must be fully planked with guardrails and toe boards, wheels must be braked, and the scaffold inspected before each shift. Ghana rules for scaffolds were not found (not verified). For outside work high up, hire a trained scaffold gang.

Tools and materials: your starter kit

Buy from paint shops and building-materials (hardware) shops in Takoradi or your district town. Prices change, so ask for two or three quotes.

Check yourself

1. How far from the wall should the foot of a ladder stand if you work at 4 m height?
2. What do the letters A and P2 on a half-mask cartridge (A1P2) mean?
3. Why should you not dry-sand old paint?

Competency standard

Range. Interior and exterior walls, wood and metal. Evidence. Tin-reading table; oral questions.

Kinds of paint

Never add white spirit to water-based paint. It is not compatible and will spoil the paint. Water-based emulsion can be thinned with clean water, but only as far as the tin or data sheet allows. On one product the maximum was 10%. Too much water makes the paint thin and weak.

For gloss, thin only a small amount and only as the maker says. Do not copy the thinning amounts for varnish onto pigmented gloss.

Choosing the right primer

Primer has a different job on each surface. Ask the shop for the right one, and say what surface it is for:

• New plaster or cement: a sealer or primer made for masonry. If white salts have come out of the wall, use an alkali-resisting primer.
• New plasterboard or POP: a water-based primer first.
• Wood: knotting solution on knots, then primer and undercoat.
• Rusty or bare metal: ask the dealer for a metal primer that stops rust. The exact types sold in Ghana were not verified.
• Chalky surface: a bonding liquid.

Reading the tin

Every tin tells you:

1. Product type and use: emulsion or gloss, interior or exterior, and what surface.
2. Coverage: how many square metres one litre covers (per coat). Written as m²/L.
3. Drying: "touch dry" time, and the time before the second coat (recoat).
4. Thinning: whether to add water or thinners, and how much (often 0% to 10%).
5. Application: brush, roller or spray; temperature and weather limits.
6. Number of coats.
7. Safety: hazard pictograms, "keep away from children", and first aid.
8. Batch number and date. Use the same batch for one room.
9. Lead: ask the dealer whether the paint meets Ghana's 90 ppm limit.
10. Data sheet: the maker's longer sheet. Ask the dealer for it.

What the data sheets say: examples from foreign makers

These are typical figures only, from makers outside Ghana. Your tin may differ.

An estimating guide says to expect about 9–11 m²/L per coat for interior acrylic emulsion, and that on site you usually get 80–90% of the theoretical figure. Coverage depends on how rough the wall is, how you apply it and the weather.

For your estimates in this module, use 10 m²/L unless your tin says otherwise.

Weather limits

• One maker says do not apply water-based paint below 10 °C or above 35 °C; another says above 5 °C.
• A UK maker says do not apply if rain is likely, or if the relative humidity is above 80% during application or drying. Akwidaa and the coast are often humid, so check the tin and avoid painting before rain.
• Strong sun on fresh paint can cause blisters. Paint outside in the early morning or late afternoon.

What paint costs in Ghana (asking prices)

These are asking prices seen on Jiji in October 2026, mostly in Greater Accra. They are negotiable and not for Takoradi. Quality differences between brands were not verified.

• 20 L emulsion listings ranged from about GH¢289 to GH¢750 for common brands (Home Charm, Delta, "acrylic emulsion"), with a few branded tins higher.
• An Azar 10 L white semi-gloss emulsion for interior or exterior masonry was listed at GH¢270. That is a seller's description, not the maker's data sheet.
• No Ghana price was found for Berger, Sandtex, Nippon or Dulux, so do not quote them. Ask the dealers in Takoradi.

Buying paint safely

• Buy from a reputable dealer and ask whether the paint meets the lead standard.
• The Ghana Standards Authority has closed shops selling substandard paint.
• Check the tin is sealed and the batch number is the same on every tin.

Check yourself

1. What is the difference between emulsion and gloss, and what do you clean each with?
2. Why do you read the tin before you buy or open it?
3. What should you ask the dealer about lead?

Competency standard

Range. Interior cement-sand plastered wall, wooden door or board, metal gate or window frame, a POP or board ceiling. Evidence. Prepared panels; preparation checklist.

The golden rule

The surface must be dry, clean, and free from dust, grease, residues and blistered paint. Remove dust, dirt, grease, loose and flaking paint by sanding or scraping.

Cement-sand plaster walls: step by step

You need: scraper, filler knife, filler, stiff brush, sandpaper, sponge and bucket, sugar soap, PPE (goggles, gloves, dust mask), primer, brush.

1. Is the wall cured and dry? Two Indian maker sheets say new plaster should cure at least 3 months before painting, and one asks for a moisture-meter reading under 4%. Ghana cure times were not verified. So: follow the paint data sheet and the dealer, and never paint a wall that still feels cool, looks darker in patches, or has damp marks.
   • A common site check (general practice, not from a Ghana source): tape a 30 cm square of clear polythene to the wall, seal all four edges, and leave 24–48 hours. If there is moisture under it, the wall is still wet.
2. Look for the cause of damp first. Leaks, rising damp and cracked gutters must be fixed first. Paint over damp will blister or peel.
3. Scrape off loose and flaking paint back to firm paint. Use a wire brush on powdery patches.
4. Wash greasy or dirty areas with sugar soap. Rinse and let it dry.
5. Treat mould or algae (see below) and let the wall dry.
6. Brush off white salts (efflorescence) with a stiff brush, wipe with a dry cloth, and use an alkali-resisting primer. Find and stop the water that brings the salts. The wall must dry completely before repainting, which can take weeks.
7. Fill cracks and holes. Cut out the crack, clean out all dust and debris, fill with suitable filler, then paint. Cracks from plaster drying or building movement are common in new houses.
   • Press filler into the crack with a knife, leaving it very slightly proud.
   • When dry, sand flat. Wipe off dust.
8. Sand rough areas smooth. Wear a dust mask and goggles. Wipe or brush off the dust.
9. Prime. Fill all patches and the whole wall with the right primer or a mist coat (below). Clean dust, loose particles and fatty stains first, then prime before application.

Mould, algae and damp stains

1. Put on gloves and goggles. Open windows.
2. Scrub with a fungicidal wash and a nylon brush; scrape off dead growth; rinse before painting. Some anti-fungus solutions need to be left at least 2 hours.
3. Another maker says use diluted bleach, 2 kg to 50 litres of water, leave for 24 hours, then rinse. Never mix bleach with other cleaners.
4. Let the wall dry fully. Fix the damp or poor ventilation that grew the mould.
5. Do not mix fungicide into the paint. It may spoil the paint or void the guarantee.

Old paint: assume lead

If a building is old, treat the paint as possibly leaded.

1. Keep children and pregnant women out of the area.
2. Cover the floor with polythene.
3. Mist the surface with water and wet-sand. Do not dry-sand, burn off with a flame, or water-blast.
4. Do not dry-sweep. Wet-wipe, then bag the waste.
5. Wash your hands, face and arms before you eat or leave.

Wood: step by step

1. Sand along the grain with about 120 grit sandpaper. Wipe off dust with white spirit.
2. Clean knots with methylated spirits, then put on 2 coats of knotting solution. Resin from knots can bleed through and spoil gloss; flaking of dark colours on sunny surfaces is a known failure cause.
3. Fill holes and dents with wood filler. Let it dry and sand flat.
4. Prime, then undercoat. A combined primer-undercoat is also sold; one product was ready for the next coat in 4 hours.
5. Sand lightly between coats.
6. Put on gloss from the top down. Outdoors, one tradesperson suggested 2 coats of gloss.

Metal: step by step

1. Brush off flaking and powdery rust with a wire brush (a wire wheel is faster, with goggles).
2. Degrease the metal (sugar soap, then rinse and dry).
3. A rust converter can be used in thin coats. It changes rust to a black coating; it does not work on aluminium, copper, stainless steel or galvanised metal.
4. Put on a metal primer as the label says. Ask your dealer for a rust-inhibiting primer for iron and steel. (The primers named in some trade books were not confirmed by a source, so ask the dealer.)
5. After the primer cures, put on gloss in thin coats.

POP and board ceilings

POP (plaster of Paris) is a white powder, calcium sulfate, that sets hard when mixed with water. In Ghana, ceilings of POP or of gypsum board (plasterboard) are common in homes, shops and offices. Ghana-specific board sizes and dealers were not verified. At this level you learn to prepare and paint them and to make small POP patches. Fixing a full ceiling is covered in Level 2.

Prepare a ceiling for paint:

1. Look for cracks, nail pops and stains. Water stains mean a leak: fix the roof or pipe first.
2. Fill small cracks and holes with filler. Sand flat when fully dry. Wear a dust mask and goggles.
3. New board or POP: put on a water-based primer before painting.

Mix a small POP patch (the bag instruction always overrides this):

1. Put gloves and a dust mask on.
2. Pour clean water into a clean bucket first. Sprinkle in the powder. Stir slowly until smooth and creamy, without making air bubbles.
3. Mix only what you can use before it sets. With no additive, fresh POP sets in about 30 minutes.
4. Clean your tools straight away. Old, set material speeds up the setting of new mix.
5. Do not wash POP down the drain. It sets and blocks pipes (general).

The usual ratio quoted is about 2 parts powder to 1 part water by volume, but the ceiling-grade ratio was not verified, so follow the bag.

Check yourself

1. Why must you find the cause of damp before painting?
2. How do you sand old paint safely?
3. When mixing POP, which goes in the bucket first?

Competency standard

Range. One interior room panel; one door or board. Evidence. Painted panels; observation checklist.

Set up the room

1. Move furniture out or to the middle of the room and cover it.
2. Spread drop sheets over the floor. Tape them to the skirting.
3. Switch off the power at the mains before working near sockets or switches. Do not remove sockets or covers yourself: cover them with masking tape. Wiring work is for a licensed electrician.
4. Mask edges you do not want to paint (window frames, tiles) with masking tape. Press the tape edge down firmly.
5. Open windows. Put on PPE.
6. Stir the paint well. Pour what you need into a tray or bucket, not the whole tin.
7. Order of work (common trade practice): ceiling first, then walls from the top down, then doors, window frames and skirting last.

Brush work and cutting in

Cutting in means painting the edges, corners and trim with a brush before you roll, so the roller does not touch them.

1. For water-based paint, wet the brush with water and shake it out. This helps the paint wash out later.
2. Dip only the first third of the bristles in the paint. Tap the brush on the tin side or bucket wall; do not wipe it hard on the rim.
3. Cut in a strip about 5–8 cm wide along the edge, no further than your arm reaches, so the edge stays wet.
4. Hold the brush like a pencil. Press lightly. Pull steadily along the edge. Keep the brush edge straight.
5. Keep working in sections of about 1 m.
6. Look for runs (drips). Brush them out at once while wet.

Roller work: the W method

1. Wet the roller cover with water for latex (emulsion) paint and shake out the extra. Load the roller evenly by rolling it in the tray's sloped part. Roll off the extra.
2. Cut in first, then roll a vertical strip that overlaps the cut-in.
3. Lay paint on the wall in a loose "W", then fill it in with up-and-down strokes without lifting.
4. Back-roll with light pressure, floor to ceiling, overlapping the last pass by about three-quarters of the roller width. Finish strokes downward.
5. Keep a wet edge. Do not stop in the middle of a wall.
6. Do not drag a roller over paint that is starting to dry: it leaves a ridge. On a warm dry day, paint dries sooner; on a humid day it stays wet longer.
7. Use an extension pole for ceilings and high walls instead of overreaching.
8. Practise on a scrap board or practice wall first.

Coats and drying

• One primer coat and two finish coats is typical practice. Explicit Ghana standards were not found (not verified).
• New surfaces and dark colours may need more than one coat.
• Flat top surfaces outside, such as sunshades, parapets and window tops, need three or more coats because water sits on them.
• Wait the recoat time on the tin. Examples from foreign makers: 2–3 hours, 4 hours, 3–5 hours at 20 °C and 65% humidity. One roller guide says to wait at least 12 hours. Hot dry weather dries faster; humid weather is slower.
• Touch dry does not mean ready for a second coat.
• Do not paint over a wet coat. It will drag, peel or show marks.

Painting wood and metal (gloss)

1. Stir the gloss gently. Do not shake it, because that makes bubbles.
2. Wear a half-mask with A1P2 cartridges, and keep the room ventilated.
3. Load only a little. Paint in thin coats; thick gloss runs.
4. Work from the top down. Brush in the direction of the grain on wood. Lay off lightly at the end of each section with one long stroke, brush nearly dry.
5. After the coat is dry as the tin says, sand lightly between coats. Wipe dust off.
6. Do not thin gloss beyond what the maker allows.

Common mistakes and fixes

Outside work: weather

Do not paint outside if rain is likely or if the relative humidity is above 80%. Do not paint in strong direct sun, where fresh paint can blister. Wash off mould and salt first, treat with a fungicidal wash, then use masonry paint. Leave tall exterior work to a scaffold gang.

Check yourself

1. What is a "wet edge" and why does it matter?
2. Which goes first in a room: ceiling or skirting?
3. If a tin says recoat after 4 hours, can you recoat when the first coat is touch dry?

Competency standard

Range. One room; one tinting job. Evidence. Colour record; estimate sheet.

Colour basics

• The primary colours are red, yellow and blue. Mixing two primaries gives a secondary: red and yellow make orange; yellow and blue make green; blue and red make purple. (This is general colour theory. Real paint pigments behave differently, so exact paint recipes were not verified. Always test.)
• Adding white makes a colour lighter (a tint). Adding a very little black or a darker colour makes it darker (a shade).
• Wet paint looks different from dry paint. Emulsions dry to a slightly different shade, so always test a dry patch.
• Light changes colour: a colour looks different in a bright room, a dark room and under a bulb. Test on the wall you will paint.

Tinting: adding stainer to white paint

Many paint shops tint to a colour card (ask yours). You can also tint white emulsion with universal stainer (tinting concentrate).

Limits. One maker's stainer (Mixol, Germany) allows at most 10% by volume in emulsion (latex) paint, 6% in acrylic paints, and 3–5% in clear lacquers and stains. Use the minimum that gives the colour. Too much colorant harms the paint film; one failure involved about 14% by volume. Your stainer's label wins.

Steps.

1. Work out how much paint you need for the whole room (below). Pour all of it into one clean bucket, or one tin if it is big enough. This keeps the colour the same all through.
2. Add stainer in small steps, a few drops or a small spoon at a time, and stir for a full minute after each.
3. Write down every amount you add: paint litres, stainer millilitres.
4. Paint a small patch on a scrap board, let it dry fully, and look at it in daylight.
5. If it needs more colour, add a little more, stir and test again. Never go over the stainer's limit.
6. When you are happy, write the recipe in your logbook, with the date and the paint batch number. Keep a small labelled sample tin for touch-ups.

Estimating how much paint: the method

1. Measure the length and width of the room, and the height.
2. Wall area (gross) = distance round the room (perimeter) × height. Perimeter = 2 × (length + width).
3. Subtract openings: doors (width × height) and windows. Net wall area = gross wall area − openings. Say which rule you use in your quote. (A US painters' guide does not deduct small openings but does deduct floor-to-ceiling openings. In Ghana, state your own rule in the quote.)
4. Ceiling area = length × width. Price ceilings, doors and trim separately.
5. Litres = net area × number of coats ÷ coverage (m² per litre).
6. Add waste (brush losses, spills, rough patches). Guides give 5–8% for trim and brush losses. A beginner may use 10% (an example choice).
7. Round up to tin sizes (for example 4 L, 10 L, 20 L) and buy whole tins.

Buy all tins for one room at the same time, from the same batch.

Worked example A: one room (all figures are examples)

Room 4 m × 3 m, height 2.7 m, one door 0.9 m × 2.1 m, one window 1.2 m × 1.2 m. Two coats. Coverage 10 m²/L (example; use your tin).

• Perimeter = 2 × (4 + 3) = 14 m. Gross wall = 14 × 2.7 = 37.8 m².
• Door = 0.9 × 2.1 = 1.89 m². Window = 1.2 × 1.2 = 1.44 m². Openings = 3.33 m².
• Net wall = 37.8 − 3.33 = 34.47 m².
• Ceiling = 4 × 3 = 12 m².
• Walls: 34.47 × 2 ÷ 10 = 6.89 L. Ceiling: 12 × 2 ÷ 10 = 2.40 L.
• Add 10% waste: walls 7.58 L, ceiling 2.64 L. Total about 10.2 L.
• If your coverage is really 8 m²/L, you need about 12.8 L; at 14 m²/L, about 7.3 L. This is why you must read your tin.
• Buy: for example one 10 L tin plus one 4 L tin, or one 20 L tin for the whole room (and keep some for touch-ups).

Cost (example). Twenty-litre emulsion tins were advertised at GH¢320 to GH¢750 on Jiji. At an example price of GH¢350 per 20 L, 10.2 L is about GH¢178.50 of paint. In practice you buy whole tins.

Worked example B: a classroom (all figures are examples)

Classroom 6 m × 5 m, height 3 m, two doors 0.9 m × 2.1 m, three windows 1.2 m × 1.5 m. Two coats on walls and ceiling, coverage 12 m²/L.

• Perimeter 2 × (6 + 5) = 22 m. Gross wall 22 × 3 = 66 m².
• Doors 2 × 0.9 × 2.1 = 3.78 m². Windows 3 × 1.2 × 1.5 = 5.4 m². Openings 9.18 m².
• Net wall 66 − 9.18 = 56.82 m². Ceiling 6 × 5 = 30 m².
• Walls: 56.82 × 2 ÷ 12 = 9.47 L. Ceiling: 30 × 2 ÷ 12 = 5.00 L. Sum 14.47 L.
• Add 10%: 15.9 L. Buy one 20 L tin.

Board counting (ceiling), example

A ceiling 4 m × 3 m is 12 m². If a board is 1.2 m × 2.4 m = 2.88 m², then 12 ÷ 2.88 = 4.17, so you need 5 boards before cutting waste. Board sizes sold in Ghana were not verified, so measure the real board.

Check yourself

1. What is the formula for litres of paint?
2. Why mix all the paint for one room in one tin?
3. What do you do when the stainer's label gives a limit?

Competency standard

Range. Practice panels and one real wall with permission. Evidence. Fault diagnosis sheet; clean tools; waste log.

Faults, causes and fixes

How to repair a peeling area: step by step

1. Find out why it is peeling. Look for leaks, damp or grease.
2. Fix the cause first. Let the wall dry fully.
3. Scrape off all loose paint back to firm paint. Wear goggles, dust mask and gloves. If the building is old, use wet methods (Unit 3).
4. Sand the edges smooth so the old paint does not show a ridge.
5. Fill dents. Sand and wipe off dust.
6. Spot-prime bare patches. Let the primer dry.
7. Put on two coats of finish. Paint a bit past the patch to a natural corner so the repair does not show.

Clean-up

Water-based (emulsion):

1. Scrape extra paint back into the tin.
2. Wash brushes and rollers in a bucket of clean water, working the paint out of the bristles with your fingers (wear gloves).
3. Wash again in fresh water. Comb the bristles. Shake and let dry, hanging or laid flat.
4. Do not pour washings into a drain or on the soil. Let solids settle in a closed bucket, and pour the clear water away from drains and water sources. (Ghana rules on paint washings were not found; ask the EPA.)

Solvent-based (gloss):

1. Wipe the brush on newspaper.
2. Wash in a small amount of white spirit in a jar. Squeeze it out. Wash in a second jar.
3. Wash with soap and water. Dry.
4. Keep used white spirit in a closed, labelled jar to let solids settle. Pour the clear spirit off and re-use it. Do not pour it on the ground.

Between coats on the same day: wrap a wet brush or roller in a plastic bag so it does not dry out (general practice).

Rags and fire

Solvent-soaked rags are a fire hazard. Oil-based finish rags can heat up and catch fire by themselves. Spread them flat outside to dry, or keep them in a sealed metal can with water.

Leftover paint and waste

• Keep a sealed tin of each colour, labelled with room, date and batch, for touch-ups. Tap the lid down firmly.
• Water-based leftovers: mix with sawdust (or similar) in a ventilated place and leave them to dry for 3 to 7 days, then bag them. Never pour paint into drains or soil.
• Solvent-based paint and thinners are hazardous waste and need collection (foreign guidance).
• Never burn paint tins.
• Lead waste: bag dust and paint chips and keep them away from children.
• The law. Ghana's Environmental Protection Act 2025 (Act 1124) replaced Act 490 and Act 917, and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) regulates hazardous waste. Whether household or trade paint waste is listed as hazardous, and what permit applies, was not found (not verified). Ask the Western Regional EPA office (contact not found) how to dispose of used solvent.

Check yourself

1. What is the first step in repairing peeling paint?
2. Where should you not pour paint washings?
3. How should oily or solvent-soaked rags be kept?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own plan. Evidence. Quote; portfolio; one-page plan.

Business ideas

Other ideas: repainting for landlords between tenants; painting shop signs and house numbers; school and church repainting before the new term; touch-up and repair services.

Location

• Look near: new housing areas, hotels and guest houses, schools, churches, shops and offices.
• Climate: on the humid coast, outside walls often need repainting more often (general).
• Competition. On Jiji, a Greater Accra search shows hundreds of POP ceiling and painting-service adverts, while in Takoradi one POP and interior-decoration seller was found. That suggests less competition in smaller towns, but demand figures for Akwidaa or Takoradi were not found (not verified).
• Demand. Painting and POP are among trades where demand is expected to outpace trained supply.

What painters earn

• Paylab Ghana: 80% of painters earned GH¢1,629 to GH¢6,107 gross per month; fewer than 20 verified respondents, date not stated.
• Ghana's 2025 daily minimum wage was GH¢19.97, which is a floor only.
• Jiji painting adverts mostly say "contact for price". No Ghana price per m² was found (not verified). Build your own rate and collect three local quotes.

Quoting a job

1. Measure and calculate paint (Unit 5).
2. Cost the paint: litres needed ÷ tin size × price (buy whole tins).
3. Add extras: tape, filler, sandpaper, drop sheets, cleaning.
4. Add labour: workers × days × daily wage.
5. Add overhead (transport, tool wear, phone) as a percentage.
6. Add your profit as a percentage. One US contractor example adds 30% profit; set your own.
7. Write the quote: what is included, what is not (ceiling, doors, trim), how many coats, the paint brand, the start date, how long it takes, and payment terms.

Worked example C: quoting room A (all numbers are examples)

Paint 10.2 L at an example price of GH¢350 per 20 L tin. Extras GH¢60. Two painters for two days at an example GH¢150 per day each. Overhead 10%. Profit 25%.

• Paint: 10.2 ÷ 20 × 350 = GH¢178.50.
• Extras: GH¢60.
• Labour: 2 × 2 × 150 = GH¢600.
• Sum: 178.50 + 60 + 600 = GH¢838.50.
• Overhead 10%: 838.50 × 1.10 = GH¢922.35.
• Profit 25%: 922.35 × 1.25 = GH¢1,152.94 (to the nearest pesewa). Quote about GH¢1,153.

The daily wage of GH¢150 is not from any source; use real local wages.

Market yourself: the before-and-after portfolio

Your phone is your best marketing tool. Make a portfolio that proves what you can do.

1. Ask the owner's permission to photograph and to show the photos online. Do not show faces or private things.
2. Take the before photo from the same spot and angle, in daylight, with the full wall in the picture.
3. Take the after photo from exactly the same spot.
4. Record with each pair: the place type (home, shop), the surface (wall, door), the area in m², the number of coats, and how many days it took.
5. Keep photos in a folder named by job. Keep the best 10.
6. Make a WhatsApp Business catalogue and a Facebook page with the best pairs.
7. Put "from GH¢___ per m², conditions apply" in your advert, so people know your price range, instead of only "contact for price" (general advice).
8. Ask satisfied customers to recommend you to a neighbour.

Business registration steps and fees are covered in Level 3. No licence specifically for painting was found (not verified); ask the district Assembly.

Accessibility and inclusion

• A study of construction jobs in Brazil, including painter, found that workers with hearing impairments could do tasks without adaptation, while people with leg or foot amputations needed suitable prostheses and adaptations. The evidence for painters was thin (one worker).
• A deaf painter in the Solomon Islands who holds a Certificate III in Painting and Decorating runs his own business and gives job experience to other deaf people.
• Our own judgement (not from a study): roles that suit people who cannot climb or stand for long include mixing and tinting at a bench, cutting in at low height with extension poles, filler work, quote writing and estimating, paint shop attendant, portfolio and social media manager, and supervisor with a helper to steady the ladder. For hearing impairment, use written quotes, WhatsApp and showing tasks. Roles for people with visual impairment are limited; this was not verified. Ladder and scaffold work, and spraying, are not suitable without adaptation.
• Women: few female trainees chose painting, masonry, tiling or electrical work, and harassment is a reported barrier. Finishing is more accessible than carrying blocks. Work in pairs or groups, and set clear conduct rules.

Check yourself

1. Give two places where you may find painting customers.
2. Why take the "before" and "after" photos from the same spot?
3. Name one task a person who cannot climb can do in a painting business.

1. How far from the wall is the foot of a ladder set when working at 4 m height?
2. Why is a paper dust mask not enough for gloss paint?
3. Why must you assume old paint may contain lead?
4. What is the difference between emulsion and gloss?
5. Name three things to read on a paint tin.
6. Why must a wall be dry before painting, and what happens if it is not?
7. Which goes first in a bucket when mixing POP: water or powder?
8. What is cutting in?
9. Why must you wait the recoat time and not just touch-dry?
10. What is the formula for litres of paint?
11. A room has 40 m² net wall. Coverage is 10 m²/L, two coats. How many litres for walls, before waste?
12. Name three things to put in a written quote.

Best next reads: the manufacturer's data sheet for the paint you use; HSE (UK) guidance on ladders; the Hub's Workplace Safety manual; the Hub's Masonry and Plastering manual; and Level 2 of this course.

What this module does not cover: gypsum-board ceiling installation and POP cornice work, graffiato and wallpaper, exterior scaffold work, spray painting, estimating and quoting in depth, contracts and registration (see Levels 2 and 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.