general devorating tips

savingmummy

Hopefully we are moving into a house this year :j

Our budget is not high so we can`t have people in to decorate unfortunately. We are not `fantastic` decorators and have very little experience tbh!

My DH can wallpaper and can get help with this from his father if need be so that is not a huge worry.

Now painting...Do you need expensive brushes for gloss work? Are there special brushes for this?
In previous efforts i have bought quite expensive ones from homebase only to found bristles fall out and then you end up picking them out of wet gloss :mad:
I have even bought the ones that are supposed to not do this and it still happens :rotfl:maybe i`m just doomed!

When decorating our now bathroom we sanded and prepped the walls, used high grade lining paper and then painted with bathroom paint (quick and cheap i know) But there is visible areas of where we filled, sanded and prepped :eek: not nice at all.
Tips for doing this better?? To me the walls were smooth, even and looked ok to paper:rotfl:i would hate to buy expensive wallpaper for this to happen afterwards

Painting skirting boards with gloss - what prep needs to be done?

I have no idea what we will be faced with when we move, fingers crossed the walls and everything is superb so need to have some tips handy incase!

Any other tips would really help from you DIYers :beer:

Niv

With wallpapering its alll about preperation. Get that right and it will save a whole lot of trouble later, if the walls are a bit poor, use a decent grade lining paper before you wallpaper.

Painting, - I have never used 'expensive' brushes for painting, including gloss. if a bristle comes off carefully remove it and brush the area to remove finger marks. I dont suggest getting teh real cheapo brushes though.

I dont understand how areas you filled were visable on your painted surface through high quality lining paper unless the prep wasnt good enough (but you stated it was preped). The walls must be as smooth as you can get them (realistically) and I suggest 1000 gauge lining paper minimum.

Not sure what teh rigth way to prep for gloss is, I have always got away with over painting old gloss with no issues.

savingmummy

Thanks Niv. Maybe `our` prepping wasn`t good enough in the bathroom.
I will have to ensure this is done better in future!
The areas visible were screw holes that had been filled in, rubbed over/sanded.

Skirting board issues - we just washed down all paintwork when we moved into this flat and then painted with gloss (good quality) and it looks very un smooth iykwim! It actually looks like we painted with a paint and sand mixture
Maybe it wasn`t dustfree/clear before painting (think i`ve answered that myself:rotfl:)

wallbash

I buy the cheapest 'no loss' brush I can find, after use , wrap in clingfilm , when finished decorating , throw brush ,
Life is too short to clean brushes ..... and yes I have been shown correct/different ways to clean a brush .

SailorSam

You'll find the better brushes are usually easier to use, they'll hold more paint. But for the average amateur who isn't going to use them a lot, is it worth the extra money. Maybe over time yes, but at the begining i'd get cheaper ones to practise with,
when you put up a lining paper although it's a bit more difficult i find you get a better finish if the lining goes horizontal.

dannyxx25

Get a painter/ decorator round for a quote and model your questions to get some handy hints!! i.e "What types of brushes do you use?"

ormus

re woodwork.
if the house is modern then just a clean with sugar soap and a sanding off will usually do.
if an old house that has coats & coats of paint, id burn the lot off first.
buy a heat gun.

brushes?
dont get the cheapest, they are terrible. but dont buy pro brushes either, theres no need for a DIYer.

re brush hairs falling out.
the pros use a new brush for a duster first. that way all the loose hairs fall out.
after a few days use, they will clean it and start using it to paint. undercoat first making sure all the bad hairs are out.
then they will use it for glossing.
one brush for white, one brush for all other colors.

phill99

If the paint work is bad/old, you may want to think about avoiding Gloss altogether. One problem is that being shiny it reflects the light and you can see all the dents, scratches and imperfections. A Satin Wood is a better option as it has a 'sheen' rather than a 'shine'. It is also equally as hard wearing as gloss. Also remember to use an undercoat. This will allow the top coat to adhere better.

In terms of the walls, you may want to take the plunge and get them reskimmed as your budget allows. I think using lining paper is only putting off the inevitable. No matter how much filling/prep work you do, sometmes they still look bad and reskimming is often the only solution. Once that is done, you will have a good sound wall finish for years to come.

savingmummy

Thank you all so much!!!

Wallbash - We do throw brushes away after lol! I HATE cleaning the things!

Ormus - i think heatgun is the answer, layers of paint is a big problem and we will be face with this no doubt as it will be a very used house!

Phill99 - we will be stripping all the walls back and using wallpaper not lining paper though (like we did in our bathroom) horrid look and a !!!!!! to strip once painted!!

Thanks again all your all stars xx

tori.k

I find a small foam roller gives a better finish to glosswork on doors then i can with a brush, you can get them im most pound shops and bin them when finished.

esmy

My best tips are;
Use water based satin (sometimes called quick dry satin) on woodwork - dries quick, brushes wash out in soapy water and I like the duller finish compared to gloss. If in doubt look on the tin how it tells you to clean brushes.
Decorators caulk (or decoraters filler) is brilliant stuff - fills gaps between walls and skirtings, walls and doors etc and can be painted over when dry.
When woodwork is almost dry, bits of fluff, hairs and so on can be gently wiped off with a damp cloth without spoiling the finish.
Don't buy expensive brushes - they all lose hairs!