How to prepare your
room for redecorating
With decorating, it can be tempting to
get cracking straight away. However, the most important aspect of decoration
is the preparation you do beforehand. If you don’t have all the necessary
tools to do the job it may be cheaper to walk into your nearest
tool hire shop. By
investing time in preparation, you are more likely to get a professional
finish.
Wallpapering
| First, determine the
materials that you need. If you are planning to wallpaper, this
may mean wallpaper, lining paper and adhesive.
You will need to calculate the
surface area of the walls in order to work out how much to buy. With
patterned wallpaper, you may need to buy extra to allow for wastage
as you need to match the pattern.
In terms of equipment, you
will need the basics like paste brush, bucket and a big pair of
scissors. You may also find it helpful to get a pasteboard which is
a long table that folds away for easy storage. In addition, you may
want to get a seam roller which ensures a neat finish and reduces
join lines. For a clean edge, you may find a wallpaper trimming edge
useful. |
 |
Painting
 |
If you are going to paint,
consider what kind of surface finish you want to end up with,
for example decide whether you want to go for dead flat matt or a
more lustrous silk finish.
Woodwork such as skirting
boards, doors, architraves, window sills and frames will need to be
painted. Decide what sort of finish you want, for instance high
gloss, satin or eggshell.
Again, you’ll need to measure
your walls to work out how much paint to buy. In most cases, allow
for two coats to get the best result. You might also want to apply
an undercoat. |
There are many methods of painting,
and rollers, pads and paint pods all help to make the job quicker and
easier. Irrespective of which method you choose, it is worth getting some
small brushes for cutting in trickier areas, for example around window
frames. Also buy plenty of masking tape to protect skirting boards, light
switches and glass.
Paint and wallpaper stripping
| To ensure an excellent
finish, it is best to remove old wallpaper and paint before
proceeding.
Wallpaper stripping is a
laborious job that can be made much easier with a steam wallpaper
stripper.
It is also possible to get a
wallpaper perforator which enables the steam to work more quickly,
making the job even easier, especially with woodchip, vinyl
wallpaper or paper that has been painted over. |
 |
Paint stripping needs to be done with
a hot air paint stripper which makes short work of this messy job. Ideal for
stripping back old gloss from woodwork so that you can either varnish or
repaint it.
Surface preparation
 |
Once your surfaces are free
of paper and paint, fill in cracks with filler, wait until it dries
and then sand it smooth.
You can use a drywall sanding
kit and a small hand sander for walls. For woodwork such as doors
and skirtings, use an orbital sander for large areas and a triangle
sander to help you deal with decorative features.
Finally, when stripping, you
don’t know what is under there so it’s best to be on the safe side
and make sure the room is properly aired. If you’re concerned about
the presence of lead, use a protective mask or seek professional
advice. |
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