Find a Decorator you can trust in Maidenhead.

Hiring a decorator for your project always seem easy until you get started. With a wide range of decorators available today, it can be quite tricky separating the boys from the men and selecting the right tradesman for your unique project. There are a number of things to put into consideration, questions to ask and lots more to ensure your decorating job is awarded to the right tradesman. In this post, we’re going to give you an insight on some of the essential questions to ask to make sure the prospective decorator is a good match. Let’s take a look!

• What qualifications do you possess? With the pool of decorators around in the industry today, qualifications are needed to help you determine the true specialists. A qualified decorator gives you an assurance (to some extent) that a quality work would be done to your requirements. Decorators, generally, can earn a degree which includes course work in architecture and are also licensed.
• How do you help me identify and communicate my style to you? If you have an idea and know what you want for your space, a good decorator should be able to get it out of you by showing you pictures and asking questions which can vary widely.
• Do you have examples of previous work that are similar to my project in style, scope as well as budget? A decorator that answers yes to this question is a good indicator that they can handle your project. If they don’t, you can ask for pictures of projects they feel is quite similar to yours

How To Remove Flaking Paint From Exterior Walls

For a successful exterior wall painting project, all that’s required is the right painting tools and equipments, the appropriate exterior paint as well as the necessary preparation of the surface. With the later being perhaps the most important part of the project which is likely to take your time and effort as there’s no short cut to it. But once you have a good idea on how to prepare the exterior wall’s surfaces, the painting of the exterior of your house becomes a lot easier. And a good example of this, is the process of removing the flaking paint on the surface. Fortunately, you do not require the skills of an expert to be able to remove the flaking paint from your exterior walls. So let’s take a look at how you can remove flaking paint from your exterior walls with relative ease.

✓ Clear all flaking or peeling paint. This involves scraping the entire painted surface with a scraper to remove all loose paints. For the paints that wouldn’t yield easily, you can apply extra pressure to wipe it out. However, it’s important to be careful while doing this to avoid gouging out or damaging the surface.

✓ Use coarse sandpaper. Make use of a sandpaper to sand all the exterior wall’s surfaces until they’re smooth. When you get to tight spaces and trim, you can incorporate a sanding block to make your job easier and more effective. Note that a smoother surface will make for a better adhesion.

✓ Use an orbital or power sander. If the paint is peeling, you can scrape it off perfectly with the help of a power sander. This will help you in achieving a smooth surface on inaccessible edges and more.

How To Paint Exterior Walls

Painting of exterior walls is a value adding task which can be done by any competent DIYer. So if you’re confident enough to pick up a brush and roller, then all you need to do is to follow the instruction in this step by step guide and you’d be glad you did. Painting your exterior walls yourself can save you lots of money that would rather have been spent on hiring the services of a professional painter and decorator. However, if you don’t feel confident enough to pull this off, then it’s advisable to call in a reliable painting specialist who can guarantee the best results for help. Here, we’ll take you through the needed steps to complete the painting of your exterior walls.

✓ Surface Preparation. This involves protecting all fencing and exterior wall component that’s not to be painted with a drop cloth or masking tape. You’ll also need to completely wipe out any dust before you start to paint a plaster surface. If it’s a previously painted wall, you’ll also need degrease it and remove or scrape off any loose areas of the plaster.

✓ Priming. This involves preparing the primer as instructed in the manufacturer’s guide. Then start to prime the surface by using a brush or a small paint roller to prime the corners, little items as well as all surfaces that are difficult to reach. Once done, then you can tackle the larger surfaces using a larger paint roller.

✓ Painting. To start painting your exterior walls, you’d have to prepare the product first by missing it thoroughly as instructed in the manual. Once done, you can repeat the same process as given in the priming stage above using your paint this time. Once done, you can decide to apply a second layer within a minimum of 4 hours after applying the first layer.

How To Paint A Radiator

First thing you should know about painting a radiator is that normal paints can’t be used to do the job, however that doesn’t mean it’s not cheap, easy and fun - it definitely is and even more so, when you do it the right way. With a few radiator painting hints here, it’s only a matter of time before you start painting your radiators every colour of the rainbow delightfully.

Painting a radiator is not one of the most common tasks on most people’s to do list, so we’ve created this article as an encouraging nudge to allow more people let their creativity manifest through a brush. However, this is not to say that this is a task for everyone though as you won’t like to make a mess of your radiator. If you know you can’t pick up a brush or bend a knee or your back here and there, then you probably shouldn’t. In such cases, hiring a professional painter would be your best bet to get the best results while also saving yourself some time and money.

To paint a radiator, you’ll need a paint brush, suitable radiator paint, dust sheet and a radiator paint brush (optional).

✓ Turn off the radiator and leave it to cool off. Once it’s cold, simply wipe out all dust, dirt or grease from the radiator.

✓ Protect the flooring under the radiator from any paint splatter with a by spreading out a dust cloth.

✓ Use a suitable radiator paint to brush out well and lay off evenly in a direction. Leave it to dry overnight. Then apply paint on the radiator in direction of the grooves with the help of a top quality brush.

✓ Paint in sections and move across the radiator slightly overlapping until you get to the end. The move to paint the other areas.

✓ Leave the paint to dry as instructed in the manufacturer’s instructions, then apply a second coat if necessary.

How To Paint A Room

Painting is a joyful task and it’s quite obvious why it’s one of the most popular DIY projects. Whether you’re painting as an experienced DIYer or as a newbie, this step by step guide will put you in the right direction. However, if you lack the confidence to carry out this task, then we’d recommend you get in touch with a seasoned professional who can guarantee the best results for help. This way, you get to save some time and additional money that would have resulted from possible costly errors.

So just before you head right into the task, there’s the need to determine the type of pain finish you would love to use which is to choose a colour. Now let’s get started!

• Prepare the room

✓ Remove all objects as much as you can from the room and cover the remaining furniture or objects with a sheet.

✓ Fill all holes on the surface to make for an even finish.

✓ Wash the wall with the help of a damp sponge. A sugar soap or diluted washing up liquid will work just fine.

✓ Tape the edges of objects you do not wish to paint like light switches, plug sockets and the likes.

• This step can be skipped if painting on an existing paint, but it’ll advisable to dilute small quantity of your selected paint to patch prime the holes that you’ve filled. If you have a large number of holes that was filled, then priming them would be smart.

• Mix or stir the paint thoroughly in a paint kettle to ensure an even and perfect mix.

• Now you’re ready to start painting! Start from the edges to form like a frame to work within with your roller. Once done, leave for about 4 to 6 hours to dry.

• For the second coat, simply repeat the above step to complete your painting project.

The quick and simple answer to this question is yes, you can definitely spray upvc windows. The upvc looks incredibly great when new and still got that fresh look and smell to it, but like every other thing, with time it begins to fade and look dull. And once it starts to look scruffy there’s no going back no matter how much you cleaned or maintained it. Now instead of going for a replacement upvc windows which can be very costly, you can spend just a fraction of the replacement cost by spraying the upvc windows. The only instance where you’d not be able to paint your upvc window is if the upvc is new or just fitted. This is largely due to the fact that a special type of upvc paint is required. The upvc paint, generally, forms a type of seal and bonds itself to the upvc window. However, it has great difficulty binding to a new upvc but as a large extent of the upvc in the UK is established rather than new, this shouldn’t be a headache for most home and property owners.

Another common reason why people decide to update their upvc with painting is due to the sheer number of colours you can incorporate in the painting. With the wide range of available colours, home owners are spoilt for choices and would opt for the colour that’ll add further accent and style to their homes. What’s more? If you don’t find the specific colour you want in your provider’s catalogue, you can always ask for a mixed colour.

If you’re thinking about spraying your upvc, then one of the first things that naturally comes to mind is the price of completing such a task. If you’re also interested in determining the price, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to take a look at the total cost involved in UPVC spraying.

First and foremost, it must be stated that UPVC spraying is an industry that’s highly competitive. And as you would have guessed the prices are largely influenced the experience and reputation of the company you opt for. In other words, the new entrant companies are usually the cheapest but their works are not particularly the best. Therefore, for a high quality job, it’s always recommended to make use of a well established and highly reputable company in the industry.

If you’re going to hire a vastly experienced and reputable firm in the industry, then you should budget about circa £140 to £160 per window, circa £210 to £250 per door and frame, circa £260 to £300 for a large garage door and circa £600 to £800 for a three bed semi detached house.

These prices include materials, labour as well as other related costs. However, you should note that they’re only estimated prices and you’ll have to call in a professional in order to get a more accurate quote. If you’re looking to paint all the UPVC in your home, there are usually discounts that will be provided based on the work load. What’s more? If there’s a need for scaffolding, then there can be a bump up in the price.

In most areas, you will not need planning permission. However, if the property is listed or in a conservation area, you will need listed building consent or planning permission to paint the exterior. A surveyor or architect's advice will be invaluable as they can help with this process.