Find a Decorator you can trust in Leamington Spa.

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 Paint A Ceiling

If you’re a bit hesitant to take on the seemingly awkward task of painting your ceiling, you’re definitely not alone. However, there are ways in which you can make ceiling painting tasks one of the less strenuous tasks you’ll find around the house as they’ll help you get rid of most drips and also assist you to easily determine whether or not you’re covering the whole ceiling. In several cases, painting a ceiling simply means painting it white again and most same colour painting jobs are way easier than painting with a new colour entirely. When you have the right size of nap controller as well as the appropriate length of an extension pole, painting over your head will be a lot easier. Here’s how to paint a ceiling.

✓ Prepare the room. This include removing as many furniture and objects from the room as possible while also laying down plastic sheets on the remaining ones. And also cover the floor with paper or canvas drop cloths.

✓ Remove obstructions. Detach or remove everything that can make your work harder like light fixtures or smoke detectors.

✓ Protect surfaces. This includes protecting vertical surfaces like the windows and doors from ceiling paint.

✓ Prepare the ceiling. This involves vacuuming the ceiling to get rid of any dust or dirt, sanding any rough spots on the ceiling with a sandpaper and filling any small holes or cracks in the ceiling (optional).

✓ Prime the ceiling. Use an angled brush or paint edging tool or primer to cut in edges of the ceiling.

✓ Paint the edges of the ceiling. When the primer has dried, simply paint the edges of the ceiling to create a frame in which you can easily work in.

✓ Paint the ceiling in grids.

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

How To Remove Old Exterior Paint

When the paint of your house is starting to peel, there’s the need to take a swift action. While some homeowners opt to cover it with vinyl siding or replace it with fibre cement siding, there’s no reason why you would want to hide the exterior of your house if it still looks great. When you don’t want to hide the beauty of your exterior, the only other option you’ve got is stripping or removing of the old paint. So how do you remove old exterior paint without much hassle? Let’s take a look!

✓ Propane blowtorch. Due to its affordability and effectiveness, this blowtorch has been one of the most popular means of removing old exterior paint amongst homeowners for quite some time. It makes use of high heat to soften the acrylic-latex paint which makes it easy to peel off with a putty knife. However, it can also be very risky to use as it’s always a dangerous game when it comes to open flames. What’s more? Applying an open flame to lead-based paint may release toxic lead fumes, therefore you’d have to be very careful if you wish to use this method.

✓ Electric sanders. Belt sanders are a great option to removing old exterior paint as they’re able to strip off the paint quickly. However, this must be done gently and carefully as you’d risk gouging the wood if you lay into the sander too hard. The problem with this method is also lead-based paint as the sander tends to convert everything to dust and direct them straight to your face, hair and lungs.

✓ Scrapping. This involves using a sharp, rigid putty knife or blade designed for painting scraping to strip the exterior paint. This method also involves dust but you’d have a better control over it than the sander.

Exterior painters and decorators will prepare the areas to be painted for you. This will involve washing and cleaning the area and making sure that it’s a good quality surface. Cracks or holes should be filled in. In some cases, you may wish to have rendering redone before the painting is done.

How Much Do Painters And Decorators Charge?

If you’re thinking about painting your home or property, then one of the first things that crosses the mind is the amount charged by painter or decorators to carry out the project. However just like any other home improvement projects and as with most tradesmen, the amount charged by a painter and decorator largely varies from job to job depending on a plethora of factors. These factors include your location, the urgency at which you need the job done and whether or not a specialist equipment would be required.

For painters and decorators, one of the biggest influencing factors that determines the price to be charged is the size of the room. For instance, if you have a large room to be painted, it’s definitely going to cost you more than a smaller room. And same applies to multiple rooms when compared to single room. In other words, to get a more accurate cost estimate from your tradesman, you’ll need to have a good idea of the size of your room or rooms. So let’s take a closer look!

✓ Painting a mid-sized room. The question here is, how do you know if your room is medium sized? The room will have a size of about 3.5m by 5m or a room that can conveniently allow up to 6 to 8 people. The price range is between £240 to £410.

✓ Wallpapering a mid-sized room. This uses the logic as painting a mid-sized room but the price can differ due to difference in materials used. The price range here is between £204 to £420.

✓ Painting a large ceiling. Painting a ceiling is very similar to painting a wall but its not as straightforward and will consume more time. The price ranges from £286 to £5476.

Can You Paint Over A Wallpaper?

According to some painting and decoration experts, painting over a wallpaper can never produce a result that’ll be as good as painting on a blank or naked wall. However in the event whereby there’s a pressing need to quickly beautify a room, it’ll be totally understandable if you don’t want to go through the hassle of the time consuming old wallpaper removal process.

Therefore, the short and simple answer to this question is yes, it’s absolutely possible to paint over a wallpaper and get a good outcome so far you don’t rush the process. To ensure your success if you want to paint over a wallpaper, there’s also the need to use the right tools and techniques. And just like any other DIY project, proper preparation before commencement is key.

If you’re going to paint over a wallpaper, many of the tools you’ll need to acquire are the standard painting and decorating products. This means that they can be easily procured at many DIY stores. To paint over a wallpaper, you’ll need a paint roller, top quality paint brushes, joint compound ( you’ll only need this in situations whereby your wallpaper is damaged or peeling), oil based primer, tape, sandpaper, paint ( can be water, solvent or oil based paints) as well as drop clothes ( for the protection of your furnitures).

As a rule of thumb, if you can easily remove the existing wallpaper, then you probably should before you start to paint the walls. However, if removing the wallpaper seems to be a pain or can significantly damage your wall, then it’ll be smart to simply paint over it. But before you proceed, you must also note that painting over the wallpaper will make it even harder to remove later in the future.

How To Paint Exterior Window Sills And Frames?

Painting your exterior window sills and frames can be a very joyful and fun-filled activity if you know what you’re doing. It’s a task that can be completed in little time by an experienced DIYer, however if you do not have the confidence to pull off this project, then you’d be better off calling in a professional for help to avoid costly mistakes. In this guide, we’ll take you through the exterior window sills and frames painting process.

✓ Prepare the window sills and frames. This includes, brushing the surfaces with warm water and gentle soap, scrubbing the windows to ensure all the edges and cracks are free from all forms of dirt, rinsing it with water and use a soft, clean cloth to wipe off any excess liquid and finally, drying it off with a towel or leaving it to dry off by itself before you start to paint.

✓ Remove any signs of moulds and moss, fill in the cracks between frame and glass using a multi-purpose filler, sand the frame and wipe out any dirt or dust on or around it using a vacuum cleaner, a clean cloth or soft brush. Once done, you can then apply a coat of water-based primer and let it dry off before painting.

✓ Painting. Firstly, you’ll have to sand your primed windows to make an even, smooth surface and apply an undercoat evenly to the surface. Once completed, you can then apply at least 2 coats of paint using a quality brush. Make sure you sand the first layer carefully before you apply the second to get a great finish.

✓ Once dried, you can the finish with a top coat (make sure you go for a weather proof paint for the exterior). For the window sills, you’ll have to apply the exterior paint gently with masking tape around the edges to protect the walls from the dripping paint.