Find a Decorator you can trust in Bristol.

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

Most companies will recommend that exterior painting and decorating is carried out in the summer months. However, advances in paint technology mean that some paints can be applied in low temperatures and even when it’s raining. Check the can for the best conditions in which to apply or ask a professionals advise.

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.

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.

This is one of the most common questions when it comes to upvc windows. If you’re also interested in knowing the possibility of spraying white upvc windows grey, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we aim to answer this question once and for all.

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, you can definitely spray white upvc windows grey! In fact, you can spray white upvc windows with any colour of your choice. So far, the most used colour is the anthracite grey, but you’re not restricted to that. You can also make use of agate grey, French grey, window grey, battleship grey and lots more! However, it should be noted that spraying white upvc windows grey is in no way an easy task as it requires lots of experience and practice.

The spraying process usually starts with a thorough cleaning of all the surfaces to be sprayed using a specialist solvent upvc cleaner. Once done, you’ll have to get rid of any existing silicone from around the frames because the paint won’t adhere properly to silicone. Upon completion, you can then proceed to masking up the surrounding brick or stone, glass, openings into room, furniture, paths or plants and many more to protect them from potential paint overspray. Now to spray the paint, you can make use of a spray gun and spray painter. Before you start painting, you can apply a light dust or mist coat to identify any contamination left on the surfaces. Once this has dried without any negative reactions, you should spray two further coats (some colours may require up to 3). leave for up to 20 minutes to dry and remove all masking.

How To Paint Exterior Door?

The front or exterior door is an excellent way to add to your house’s visual appeal. You choose to add a little style, think outside the norm and stand out in a lot of ways.

The front door or exterior door is what your guests are going to first come in contact with and can go a long way to shape their impression about you. It’s also one of the very things that grabs attention when looking at a house from a distance. So if you’re going to paint it yourself, you should know there’s no room for errors. However, if you’re not confident enough then we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. Here’s some top painting advice aimed at helping you getting the project done in a quick and easy manner.

✓ Prepare the front door. Detach the doors from the hinges ( you may decide not to completely detach the door). However, there’s the need to tape off and protect the exposed hardware or windows if you won’t be detaching the door completely before painting.

✓ Start to paint the front door. Use a brush to run along the taped area to create a frame in which the roller can easily work in. What’s more? If the exterior door is metal or fibreglass, you can create a more natural look by painting in the direction that would be on a wood door.

✓ To fill and refine your front door painting, you can simply roll the paint directly on the surface for a flat one-panel door. However, if it’s a panelled door, then you’ll have to first make use of your brush to paint the inlaid regions before using the roller on the flat, outer regions.

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 Much To Paint A House Exterior?

Do you feel your home is need of a lift to enhance its visual appeal or give it some TLC? In order to impress your visitor or potential buyers, kerb appeal is simply everything. Many homeowners are usually discouraged due to the thought that a painting job is always an expensive one with not so much value in return. However, in reality, painting your home’s exterior is actually one of the most significant improvements one can make as it tells your story and communicates your value.

The cost of getting a house exterior painting job done is based on a number of things which includes the type of walls you possess, whether it’s a maintenance project, whether it’s your first time of painting the house as well as your location. So what’s involved in a painting job?

✓ Scrapping off the loose paint.

✓ Brushing off cobwebs and dust on the surface

✓ Washing the wall

✓ Application of fungicide to mouldy patches

✓ Repairing minor damages

✓ Applying paint surface stabiliser

✓ Applying two coats of your chosen paint

✓ Disposal of waste as well as a full clean up of the site.

Below is a breakdown of the cost of painting the exterior of a house. Kindly note that this is just an example (using a semi detached house) to give you an idea of how much your project is going to cost.

✓ Costly scaffolding isn’t required here but platform towers can be need - this will cost about £80 to £100.

✓ Materials including sand or cement for repairs, plastic sheeting, tape, paint, masonry stabiliser as well as fungicide treatment will cost about £200 to £300

✓ Cost of labour for two workers £700 to £1000 based on the location