Painting & Decorating HINTS AND TIPS

Painting and Decorating

You can breathe new life into a home with a spot of painting and decorating but how can you make your efforts look as good as possible? Here we look at how to approach your decorating task, how to achieve a good finish and when to call in the professionals.

Tips to get the paint job right

- Preparation is the key: To ensure the job runs smoothly, be well prepared. Remove loose floor coverings and lay dustsheets on anything that can`t be moved. Wash down the walls with a suitable detergent and check the surfaces for cracks and holes filling in any problem areas.

- Cut to the ceiling: Cut in around the ceiling, light sockets, skirting, corners and any doors and windows. For ceilings, paint along the top of the wall keeping the edge of the brush tight to the ceiling and then turn the brush and go over the paint again with a steady stroke.

- Windows and doors: For vertical runs around doors and windows repeat the motion described above but keep tight to the corner with the edge of the brush. Then go over the paint again with a smooth, steady stroke.

- Interiors: When painting interior walls, paint from top to bottom and work away from any windows. Use a paint pad or roller and when painting to an edge, always roll towards the edge of the wall. You can apply the second coat this way too.

Choosing the right paint

Although choosing paint colours is a matter of personal taste you`ll also have a broad choice between oil- or water-based paints with different finishes, such as gloss, satin, eggshell and matt. Oil-based paints, such as gloss, have a hard, smooth finish and are best suited to interior woodwork, such as skirting boards and door frames.

Water-based paints, such as matt emulsion, are suited to interior walls although some, such as those with an eggshell finish, can be used on interior woodwork too.

If in doubt.

Don`t be afraid to head to a DIY store and ask for advice before you buy. Remember to test paints out at home before covering the whole room to get a feeling for how they look - test pots are usually available.

Remember too that accidents happen and if a job feels too big then it`s usually best left to the experts. Remember that you may not be able to achieve the same quality of finish as a professional and, should you be unhappy with your own handiwork, it may end up costing you more in the long run to put it right. Also consider the timescales involved as it is often worth paying a professional to have the job completed quickly and efficiently with minimal disruption.

AA research in May 2009 showed that one in 10 Brits has a DIY accident that could cost more than £100 to rectify. As such you should check you have suitable home insurance with accidental damage cover - use a comparison website to find cheap home insurance that meets your needs.

We cover the following London Postcodes:

E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18 IG1, IG2, IG3, IG4, IG5, IG6, IG7, IG8, IG9, IG10, IG11 N15, N17, N16,

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