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Decoration and Wallpapering

Decoration

The key to getting a good paint finish is in the preparation.   Before you start painting:

• Move all furniture either out of the room or into the centre and cover well with a clear plastic sheet (so that people can see what’s underneath and won’t put anything heavy ontop of it).  Remove any pictures, mirrors, radiators and anything else on the walls.
• Cover the floor with dust sheets to collect any drops of paint and dust.
• Either loosen electrical switches or tape around with masking tape. Also tape skirting boards to ensure a clean finish.

For cracks and holes in the you need to make these bigger in order for the filler to permeate into the wall/ceiling.

• Apply PVA adhesive to the crack/hole with a small brush – this gives good adhesion for the filler
• On top of the crack/hole apply joint tape
• Apply a thin coat of filler with a joining knife and press it hard through the tape into the crack and leave to dry.
• Sand down and apply and second coat of the filler and again sand down when dry.  This will help in avoiding further cracking in that area.

You are now ready to paint.

• Start with the ceiling so that any falling paint will be later covered over on the walls.
• Do the walls next with skirting boards, dado and picture rails and radiators last.
• For a light to light colour x1 coats of undercoat and x2 coats of finish paint will usually suffice, for a dark colour to a light colour you will need x2  coats of undercoat.
• For the first coat paint the walls horizontally, for the second vertically and subsequent coats in the same sequence.
• For walls and ceilings use a water-based emulsion paint, for woodwork use an oil-based paint.

Wallpapering

Preparation is key before you start wallpapering.

• If you have any painting to do in the same room make sure you have done that first.
• Move and cover furniture with a plastic dust sheet and put a dust sheet on the floor.

Tools & Materials

• You will also need to purchase the correct tools; a good paste table, pasting brush, a sponge, plumb bob, a tape measure, a sharp knife, a pair of decorating scissors and a bucket of clean water.
• To strip existing wall coverings soak with a wallpaper stripper or warm water and detergent.  When fully saturated scrape off with a stripping knife.  If you have particularly stubborn paper you may want to use a steam stripper.
• Once you have bought the wallpaper check it is all of the same batch, shade etc.
• Fill all cracks using joint tape and filler, sand down until smooth.

Lining paper.

• Always use lining paper underneath if the walls are in poor condition or if you are using a heavy wallpaper such as handprinted or hessian.
• Make sure the walls are clean and dry.
• To hang horizontally (for the lining paper) cut the lining paper into strips which measure the length of the wall plus about 25mm (1”) round the corner to the next wall.
• Using a spirit level mark a horizontal line all the way along the wall about 25mm below the ceiling level.
• Paste the first length and concertina fold it on your table.
• Working from one corner gradually open up the folds and smooth the paper down, getting rid of air bubbles and creases as you go until reaching the other end and ensuring the paper is hung in line with the pencil line.
• Ensure all of the edges are fixed down firmly, applying a little more paste if necessary.
• Further lengths underneath should be butt jointed (leaving the tiniest of gaps between the edges) working down from the ceiling to the skirting.

Finish paper

• Measure the length required (normally the height of the wall) and cut from the roll, allowing an extra 50mm (2″) or so at top and bottom for final trimming To start with, only cut one length at a time.
• Ensure the pattern is the right way up and never assume that the outside end of the roll is the top – it is not always so! Mark the back of the paper with a ‘T’ at the top, this avoids confusion later on.
• Consider where you will start hanging. For boldly patterned wallpapers choose a focal point such as a chimney breast or the dominant wall and plan to hang from the centre If you have a plainer design start in a corner, usually behind the door
• With a bold design, always cut the first length so that when it is hung and finally trimmed top and bottom there will be a complete motif at the top of the Before cutting the next lengths ensure that the pattern matches up with previous ones. Remember that you will be using more wallcoverings if the design is large or has a big repeat.

If all of this seems like too much hard work at the moment use a professional – you may be surprised by what Riga Interiors can offer!