Below are lots and lots of tips, (some of them actually work), if you can't find something helpful here, tell me and I'll write graffiti over your walls.
If you have any questions or a problem, that I have not covered that you want help with or you think something is wrong, (I'm not as perfect as I like to think I am), then email me, go on, what are you waiting for?
Last updated 18 February 2006
And by the way I'm available for busmans holidays, you supply the air fare, accommodations and meals and I'll supply the highly skilled me. Think I'm joking, try me!
Get at least 2 or 3 quotes but do not assume the lowest is the best, most clients have an idea what the cost should be before anyone arrives to them .
If possible insist on a fixed quotation, not estimates. Ha! not likely off me mate.... well if you insist.
If the work is by the hour make sure you get the amount per hour in writing and a breakdown of the hours. A fair tradesmen will do this without any hassle. If you get hassle get someone else. Me, me me.
Never hand over money before work begins and preferably not until after it has been finished. It's okay, I'll wait while all my children go hungry, no need to feel guilty.
Check that the decorator has public liability insurance. Cos you never know when I'm going to cover that gas fire with a sheet, not knowing the pilot light is still on..sorry.
Ask for customer references and recommendations. The dog in trap 6 is not what I mean..
Ask about any guarantees for workmanship. Good workmanship should last more than a day. Be really pushy, go for a year.
Check work thoroughly during and after completion. It is easier to get the tradesmen to put something right whilst he's there than when he's on holiday in Greece. I'll send you a postcard.
One good way to avoid cowboys is to see if the tradesmen belongs to an association, this helps to protect you, the customer, from shoddy workmanship. But do remember that, in most cases, they'll only have to give 3 references of people they've worked for in the past... bloke down the pub, girlfriend and his mum. Recommendation by YOUR mate, friend or relative is a lot better than any amount of stranger recommendations.
Always get a receipt. I will send you one, Honest.
But above all never forget that, YOU, the customer is always RIGHT, Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, think I've wet myself, ha ha ha ha.
Before any application of paint or wallpaper to new plaster, can adhere properly, it needs stabilising. No paint, whether it is water or oil based, will "soak" into the plaster as the paint is used normally, its viscosity is too thick. If you use a "new plaster" primer the chances are that it will be oil based and very thin so that it can soak in to the plaster and bind with the surface, as will a thinned down solution of a vinyl water based paint. If I was to use gloss or eggshell as a top coat then, yes, I would use an oil based primer. You can alway overcoat a water based paint with a oil based but only undercoat or similar can be painted over with water based paints.
If you want to paint the walls;
New plaster needs a primer to stabilise it, so any further coatings of paint, bonds to the walls. This will stop the paint from blistering/flaking.
You can buy New plaster primer or you can dilute vinyl based emulsion with water, (10 - 30% depending on the viscosity of the paint), and use that. Remember this is used as a primer not an undercoat.
If you want to paper the walls;
If you are going to paper the walls then you need to 'size' them first. Without the size the paper will want to stick to the wall before you have a chance to move it into place to match patterns or align the seams, also because the wall is so dry the paper will not stick down so evenly.
Likewise, you can buy 'size' specific to sizing, all I use is ordinary wallpaper paste diluted, to coat the walls.
Wallpapering
Why use wallpaper?
Covers up a multitude of problems. Can sometimes be a lot easier hanging wallpaper than trying to get a wall into a good enough condition to paint. The choice of styles and patterns is endless.
Use this chart to find how many rolls you need for your walls or ceiling. Then when I come and measure your room and tell you how much paper you need, you can embarrass me by pointing out that what I say disagrees with the chart on my website.
Remember when you purchase you paper - Make sure all the design and batch numbers are the same - else there may well be colour or texture variations. And then I'll cry because I'll probably hang some of it without checking.
Common types of wallpaper;
Spongeable / Washable: one of the cheapest wall papers, probably, despite its designation, the least washable.
Vinyls: Hard wearing, can take a lot more punishment then other papers. A better paper to use in areas that suffer from a higher humidity and condensation, bathrooms and kitchens.
Embossed: Anaglypta, Fresco. Highly textured ideal for papering ceilings and walls to hide bad plaster. Can be painted. Perfect if you have children as you can paint and re-paint the paper. Not an easy paper to hang as all lengths need the exact soaking times and the pattern will scream if you come close with a seam roller.
Blown vinyls: Super Anaglypta, Super Fresco, textured paper, good enough not to paint or paint. Surface can be damaged quite easily by knocks and scrapes. Texture wont flatten like embossed papers when you smooth the seams flat, good if you're heavy handed, me, I've got touch of a butterfly landing.
Lining paper: Plain paper that comes in a variety of different thickness. For example 1000 gauge is thicker than 800. Can also be scrim backed. This paper is ideal for covering bad plaster that has a myriad of hair line type cracks or even small holes. Takes emulsion paint very well. Usually hung horizontally if covering with wallpaper so seams of lining paper and wallpaper do not line up. But as lining paper is almost always wider than ordinary paper, I hang it vertically.So, I'm lazy.
Wallpaper borders;
There can never be a perfect match when you join borders at angles other than around corners at 90 degrees.
However overlap the two borders to get a good a match as possible.
Then cut through both borders at an intersecting angle with a razor sharp knife and a straight edge (like a small spirit level or steel rule). Take away the waste and stick back into place, you will end up with a good a match as possible.
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Wallpaper borders;
I was asked if it is possible to match borders perfectly where they join at different angles.
Well you can't but you can follow these instructions to make it look right and neat.
Overlap the 2 borders where they meet in the corner.
Make sure the borders at at the same level on the top edge.
The 45 degree angle border should be too big on the bottom edge.
Next you need to cut through both borders, using a very sharp knife and a guide to hold the paper in place so that the line you cut will be perfectly straight.
Cut from the top corner to where the bottom edge of the 2 borders intersect.
You should end up with the first 1 or 2 inches of the bottom edge of the 45 degree border horizontal.
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Bubbles/blisters: Bubbles appearing in paper after it has been hung. Poor surface preparation, not pasting paper properly, paper given too long to relax, not smoothing paper out enough.
Solution: With a very sharp knife make a + cut across bubble, apply paste to back of paper then using a damp sponge gently press back into place.
Seams curling: Paste to thin or excessive use of seam roller squeezing paste away from seams, paste drying out to quickly due to excessive heat or even strong .
Solution: Re-apply stronger solution of paste to seams and press back into place.
Gaps: Paper given to long to relax and then paper shrinking back to original size.
Solution: No way to get rid of gaps but can be disguised by using a water based dye, a similar colour to the paper.
Patches: With thinner papers if the wall has patchy colours then they can quite often show through the paper.
Solution: Paint the walls first with a pigmented primer or emulsion.
Pattern dropping or rising: Quite often caused by paper not being hung straight. Floor or ceiling not horizontal.
Solution: Easiest way to put right is to make sure that you have a straight line on the next wall, use a plumb bob not a spirit level! If you still have a lot of paper to hang then mark a straight line for the next strip so it overlaps the previous strip, then splice the paper.
Smearing: Paste not rinsed off properly from front of paper.
Solution: Use clean water and a sponge to gently wipe the paste off the paper.
Plan where all your strips of paper are going so as to avoid complications like having to hang small fiddly strips of paper. A few minutes planning before you start will save a lot of misery later.
Different batch numbers on the same pattern rolls will mean that there will be colour variance's, different textures and mismatch when trying to align patterns. Check all the batch/lot numbers on rolls are identical, don't do what I did and think the numbers 40069 and 40096 were the same because the rolls were not lined up and I was in a hurry, Ooops.
Hold a steam stripper on the wall on the same spot for too long and you will hear the plaster pop, snap or crack(le)(which means the plaster and render have parted company and some time in the future will start to crack up and fall off), not good, keep the steamer moving.
Probably 9 out of 10 rooms in which I strip the wall paper I use water, sponge and a device with 9 rotary wheels that nicks the top of the paper as you roll in over the surface in circular motions. And of course a scraper.
You will get a better finish if you fill all the cracks between the door frames and skirtings and the walls prior to hanging the paper.
If you rub a finger over the surface of the wall and it comes away with a powdery substance on it, you will need to "size" the walls and in worse cases you'll need to use a sealer.
Spend 5 minutes rubbing the walls down especially if you have removed old wall paper, get rid of all those bits and it will improve the finish. Don't wait more than a few days before sanding the walls else all the bits of wall paper you missed will go rock hard, making the job a lot more difficult.
Size new plaster and anywhere that has been filled on the walls.
Some old emulsion type paints need to be sized or sealed before hanging paper. A good way to tell if the paint needs treating is to rub your finger over the paint, if the paintwork is powdery it will be obvious.
Strong and patchy colours on walls will show through thinner papers so prime the walls first.
Never submerge pre-pasted wallpapers in water if you want an easy life. Always paste pre-pasted wallpapers on a paste table using a thinner then normal solution of paste.
Having wallpaper paste that takes 0.001 seconds to thicken is all well and good but make sure you stir in the powder very quickly to avoid lumps.
Better to have the paste too thick than too thin, holds paper in place a lot better.
A good indication of whether the paste is strong enough is to dip the paste brush into the paste then lay the brush on the paper and when you lift the brush the paper should stay stuck to the paper.
Make sure you soak the paper for at least as long as the manufacturer states or the paper will continue to expand when it has been hung on the wall causing the seams to push up and blistering.
Soak each length of paper for the same amount of time. Less critical with vinyl papers.
When going around corners, cut and tear. Tearing the paper rather than cutting, feathers the edge so you will get a smoother join. But do it as close to the corner and neatly as possible and be extra careful with shiny papers as it wills show.
Use a wood or border glue when over lapping paper, especially vinyls, paper will never come unstuck. Always use border glue if you are putting the border on a vinyl or glossy surface if you want it to stay there.
If you go around an outside corner with wallpaper then the chances are that the edge of the paper is now no longer square. Hang the next strip square, then splice the paper with the strip that came around the corner. Of course matching up the patterns again.
To get the perfect finish around electrical fittings, like light switches and plug sockets, switch the power off and remove the face plates. Hang the paper as normal then cut out about a quarter of an inch from the outside of the fitting. When you re-wire and replace the face plate you will have the perfect finish.
Never use seam rollers on embossed papers as the pattern can be crushed very easily giving it a flattened look. Try not to use seam rollers as they tend to squeeze the paste out from under the paper.
Keep a sponge and a bucket of water to hand to clean any paste off the wallpaper as you go. Be sure if you don't it will show and if left on white emulsion it will turn yellow.
Got bubbles/blisters behind your paper, be patient as in the majority of cases these will disappear. Bubbles will take longer to vanish when hanging vinyl paper on painted walls in a humid area.
One way of getting rid of stubborn bubbles is to cut the bubble in a + with a very sharp knife then paste behind and use a sponge to gently press the paper back into place.
Want to make your room look taller then use a paper with vertical stripes and horizontal stripes for a wider looking room.
When you paper ceilings make sure you can access the ceiling the whole length or width of the ceiling so you don't end up with half the strip on the ceiling with no where to go.
For ceilings, as you paste the strip of paper fold it concertina style and hang the paper over a round piece of wood slightly longer than the width of the paper to help hold the paper as you fit it to the ceiling.
Silk paint: Water based emulsion with shiny finish. Resistant to marking. Does not cover as well as matt paints. Shows up any flaws in the walls or ceilings.
Sheen paint: Halfway house between silk and matt. Good if you want a mark resistant paint without to much shine. Satin gloss made by Dulux is similar but an oil/solvent based paint, not recommended if you've got children as it can get marked by, not so clean, finger prints
Matt paint: Water based paint that covers well. Marks easy and hard to clean.
Flat finish paint: Like matt but even less shine to it.
The emulsion mentioned above comes in 2 main types, vinyl or not, e.g. High Opacity paint, Contract. Any emulsion that has vinyl in it will be harder wearing and more resistant to damage.
Eggshell paint: Used primarily in kitchen and bathrooms. More resistant to stains and marking than silk. Traditionally oil/solvent based but now comes in a waterbased formula.
Paints with fancy names like Kitchen paint, Wipe clean etc, are usually one of the above paints but charged at a premium.
DIY stores that sell Dulux emulsion are not the same as Dulux Trade emulsion. The DIY Dulux is a thinner paint apparently ready to use out of the can.The trade paint has more body to it so for a start goes further so is in essence £ per litre cheaper. Also if I was to paint textured wallpaper say, then I would want to thin the paint slightly for cutting in as a roller would put paint on thinner than a brush. Hopefully by thinning the paint for cutting in the effect would balance with the roller. There you go.
Some paints like gloss and undercoat that are solvent based have a very strong smell, to cut done on the smell, cut an onion in half and leave it in the room you are painting.
A 1 and a half inch brush costs me about £8.00, if you want to pay £2.99 for a set of 5 paint brushes, expect £2.99 worth of finish.
This may seem a bit extreme to do to the expensive paint brush you have just bought but to cut down the amount of bristles that come out of the new brush, find a brick wall and continuously wipe the brush back and forth for a couple of minutes.
How often are you going to paint that room, every year, five years, ten years, if you want the finish to last, buy a good brand of paint, not a DIY brand.
The better the preparation the better the finished job.
Brilliant white gloss fades quicker than ordinary gloss.
One coat gloss paints are less glossy than ordinary gloss.
It is easier to cut in with liquid gloss than non drip gloss.
If you want an excellent finish with one coat gloss, use an undercoat first!
Gloss paints are harder wearing than water based paints.
Painting wallpaper; It's quite common to paint over wallpaper, Anaglypta, Fresco and other sorts of textured paper. Rough walls are often covered with lining paper prior to painting. So as long as the paper is secure to the wall and it is not a vinyl type paper, there should be no problem painting it. Emulsion is commonly used. Matt emulsion will cover better and help hide any defects in the paper. If the paper is a vinyl paper then you will need to prime the paper first, with a non water based primer or undercoat, this may be more trouble than its worth. Even if the paper is secure to the wall when you paint it, bubbles will appear but should disappear as the paper dries.
If you have more than one door to gloss or large areas of gloss-work think about using a 4" foam roller, painting those doors will take a fraction of the time. Don't use any other type of roller as you will end up with bits from the roller in your paintwork.
Protect you carpets from paint when painting along skirtings and door frames with low residue masking tape. Worth the time taken, not only to protect the floors but also allows you to paint more of the skirtings closer to floor and your paint brush should pick up no fluff, grit and stuff. Try to leave the tape down until the next day so the paint has dried, it's a lot less messy getting it up. Before pulling the tape up, use your fingers to break the paint seal by pulling the tape at 90 degrees away from the skirting to stop it ripping and leaving narrow hard to remove strips.
You've finished painting your front door and want to go to bed but your afraid the paint work on your newly painted door will be ruined when up shut it? Providing the paint is touch dry, lightly smear a bit petroleum jelly around the door where it will touch the door frame. Next morning open the door, hey presto! no white paint from the door frame stuck to your beautiful door. Remember to gently wipe off the jelly.
If you spill a water based paint on anything then use a rag and plain water to remove it. It is absolutely vital that you remove any paint whilst it is still wet! Paint spills that are oil based, like gloss, need something like white spirit of turps to remove stains. Be aware that products like white spirits can also damage delicate materials.
When you have finished with paints like gloss, turn them upside down for a few days to create an airtight seal and stop a skin forming on the paint. Make sure the lid is on securely first!
Why use tiles?
If you want something that is highly decorative and hard wearing then tiles could be the answer as the right tiles should last a lifetime,
They are completely fireproof as they have been fired in kilns, with temperatures in access of 1000oc,
Resistant to mould that can grow in areas of high humidity, e.g. bathrooms,
Easy to clean and keep clean.
Handy tiling tips
Use masking tape around washbasins, etc, to help protect surfaces from being scratched.
Don't start with a whole tile in a corner. Walls are rarely square so chances are that the wall will start going out or coming in. This will mean that you will have to start cutting impossibly small bits off the edge of the tile or try to fit in small bits.
If you are tiling the whole perimeter of a room then mark a horizontal line all around the room so that when the tiles meet they are at the same level.
Find the middle of the wall, work out first where your tiles will end in the corners, so you don't end up with little fiddly bits.
The flatter the surface you are going to tile the better the finish.
Scratch paintwork for better adhesion.
Make sure surfaces are perfectly dry before you seal any joints with silicone sealer and try to do it just before you go out as it has a strong smell and make sure there is plenty of ventilation.
Most surfaces can be tiled including wood, metal, paint and tiles, but makes sure the surfaces and sound, flat and free from debris, loose paint and grease. Use the appropriate adhesive for the surface you are laying tiles on.
For wide joints in your floor tiles use a grout that contains sand.
Grout comes in a myriad of colours, you can even buy dyes and make your own colour.
No matter how hard you try, you just can't cut the tiles so they fit perfectly around your washbasin, cistern, lights switches, etc. Unscrew any fixtures and cut the tiles to fit behind . Re- screw, with longer screws if necessary. Now you have the perfect cut!
Tiles are often sold in boxes of 1 - 1 1/2 m
2, tell the retailer how many metres you need to cover and they should tell you how many tiles you need. Easier and more accurate way to calculate the amount of tiles you need using 6' square tiles as an example.
divide irregular wall or floor surfaces into more manageable square areas.
e.g, 2' x 2', 3' x 2', 2'3" x 1'8"
would be 4 x 4 tiles = 16 tiles, 6 x 4 tiles = 24 tiles, 5(2'3" rounded up to 2' 6") x 4(1' 8" rounded up to 2") tiles = 20 tiles,
then add all the totals, 16 + 24 + 20 = 60 tiles,
then add approximately 10% more for breakages, cuts and spares = 3 + 60 = 63 tiles
Spares are very important as the chances are that when you need them, whether due to an accident or alteration, they will no longer be available or because they will be from a different batch the chances are almost 100% certain the shade will be slightly different.
Even plain standard 6" white tiles from different manufacturers come in different tones of white and varying interpretations of 6"(some are 6" with the grout joins and some are 6" without the grout!).
To find out if your doors will still open and close after the tiles have been laid, put one tile on top of another and if the door can move over them without touching then you will not need to shorten your doors.
Highly glazed tiles are more susceptible to scratching, keep this in mind if you are having floor tiles.
Electrical outlets often sell long screws that you can cut to size, if necessary, to replace the ones that will no longer fit the electrical sockets because of the tiles pushing the socket further out.
Painting tiles; Clean the tiles with white spirit to remove all traces of grease, even fingerprints leave grease marks on tiles. Prime with a new plaster primer then use a non water based type of gloss. Crown has a range of ceramic tile paint that they say needs no primer.
If your bathroom suffers from mould then here are a few things you can do to try and combat it:
Open the window when you shower or bath.
Before you paint or paper over that mould, wipe it over with bleach or an anti-fungal solution to kill it.
Put a bucket of salt in the room. Good enough for the Victorians.
Use a sealer, like Unibond, to paint over the mould prior to decoration.
Keep a dehumidifier in the room, better than anything else you can try. Got one in mine, with a "thermostat" on it and an automatic cut out when its full.
Paint the walls with an eggshell emulsion.
Get installed an extractor fan, that comes on automatically, when you switch the light on.
If all the above fail, I give up, stop using your bathroom.
