DIY Decorating | 3 Essential DIY Decorating Tips!

DIY: Decorating

If you are renovating your house one of the ways that you can cut costs is by doing the decorating yourself rather than paying a professional. With just a bit of care and attention you can get professional looking walls and add the finishing touches to your new conversion or extension or revitalise an existing room.

How do I get rid of holes and cracks in plaster?

Holes and cracks in the plaster are bound to appear in the normal wear and tear of a room and they can be unsightly. Luckily they don’t take much to mend. Firstly you will need to prepare the surface, get rid of loose material (such as hanging wall paper). Mix your chosen filler into a paste (not too sloppy): do this in a cup or bowl by adding water to the powder slowly and stirring until you get the right consistency. You could also buy premixed fillers, which work out more expensive but save time and make sure you have the right consistency. Fill in the crack or hole using the filler then smooth over. Avoid over-filling as you will have to sand down later, although you should allow for a little shrinking as it dries. If there is shrinkage repeat the process again to fill the crack up to wall-level. Once the filler is dry you can then sand down the area with a sanding block for a smooth, flat finish.

How do you hang wallpaper?

Wallpaper is a good way of hiding irregularities in a slightly uneven wall; there are also lots of different colours, textures and materials on the market. Once you have chosen your desired wallpaper you need to begin preparation. This involves preparing the wall: make sure it is free of any old wall paper and removing fittings from the wall where possible such as radiators, shelves and wall lights. Remember that the wall may not be straight, so when wallpapering don’t just line up with the floor or ceiling, use a spirit level and mark down the level, line the wall paper up so that it is level, any irregularities at the floor or ceiling can be trimmed off later. Once you are ready, mix up your wallpaper paste and begin pasting onto the paper from the top to the bottom. Ensure the whole area is covered and leave to soak in the paste for the recommended time before lifting it up and placing it on the wall. The easiest way to manoeuvre the wallpaper is by folding it up so that the top corners can be lifted up to the wall. Once up it is vital to use a papering brush to get rid of bubbles, start in the middle of the wallpaper and work outwards. Repeat the process by preparing the next piece of paper in exactly the same way and then matching it up to the previous piece (taking particular care to align patterns). Once you are finished hanging the wallpaper you can cut any excess and leave it to dry before beginning the next stage of decorating.

How can I achieve a professional looking paint-job?

Achieving a professional paint-job doesn’t necessarily require a professional painter, you can achieve great results by preparing the wall, knowing your paints and taking a little time and care over the paint job itself. Firstly you may wish to consider using an undercoat, this is oil based and will cover the colour of the wall being painted, it’s particularly useful if painting over wood but if you are planning to paint over the undercoat with a water-based paint you will need to use a primer. Next decide on your colour and whether or not you want to use a gloss paint or emulsion. Gloss is oil based whereas emulsion is water based. Emulsion is the easiest to get good results with and is recommended for a beginner DIY decorator. Before you begin painting you should dust and clean the area, remember that dust will stick to the paint so it’s very important to make sure the whole area is dust-free before you go to work. Secondly cover the floor with sheets and use masking tape on the ceiling and skirting board, there will always be a small element of splattering and the only way to achieve the professional, clean-lines of a paint job well done is by using masking tape. Lastly as you begin your painting, work from top to bottom. With a little bit of time and a little bit of elbow grease, you’ll have the perfect paint job!