Decorating tips

Help ! We have just moved into our first flat and we want to decorate the living room, can you give us some tips please.

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation is the key here. The better the preparation the better the finished result.

●             First of all if you can clear the room the less clutter lying about the less chance it will get damaged and you will have more space to move around. Make sure you cover the floor, use either a plastic or cotton sheet.

●             Remove any old wallpaper, if the room is papered remove the old wallpaper, take your time here using a wallpaper steamer or water to soak into the paper before carefully peeling away the paper with a stripping knife. If you are too vigorous you can remove the plaster too giving you a bigger job to do.

●             The walls will need prepared for paint. Any cracks should be filled, we would suggest you use Ronseal’s five minute filler as it gives a nice smooth finish quickly and it can be used in holes up to 20mm deep without cracking or sagging. Fill the hole then once dry sand back to level with some medium grit sandpaper until smooth.

●             All woodwork and the walls should be rubbed down to provide a key for the new paint or varnish. Use sanding blocks and sand paper for this. You want to make sure that this is all done before you start to paint.

●             If there are big gaps around windows or underneath skirting now is a good time to fix these too as you won’t want to sit in your new room if is it draughty. Everbuild’s Fill n Fix is great for this. It is an expanding foam filler that expands into the space. Once dry any excess can be cut or sawn away and then filled using filer as above.

●             Fill round all skirting and woodwork where there is a gap between the wood and the wall with a decorators caulk.

●             The final step before you start is to clean down all the surfaces removing all the dust and washing down the walls to remove any leftover wallpaper paste. Use Sugar Soap to clean the walls this will remove any paste and clean the surface ready for painting.

●             Take time to choose your paint and wallpaper well once its on the wall its too late. At Beatsons we have paint mixing machines allowing you to get any colour of paint in nearly any type of paint you want; gloss, matt or vinyl silk. We also have Wallpaper books with some lovely wallpapers for a feature wall in your room.

And remember you will need brushes, rollers and trays , wipes and masking tape. If wallpapering you’ll need paste and a bucket for your paste, brushes, sponges and a pasting table along with a sharp knife and a set of step ladders too. All of this and much, much more is available in your local Beatsons branch, just ask any of our staff if you     need help.

●             Now you are ready to paint, start with the ceiling and then cut in around the walls before filling the centre area with paint, this will give you a sharper line. If you need it use a good quality masking tape to help you. And make sure you finish painting before you start wallpapering.

Beatsons Building Supplies are open six days a week to the public and the trade we have stores across Central Scotland. We have a huge range of Paint, Wallpaper and all the decorating materials and sundries you will need at great prices. For more information log on to www.beatsons.co.uk