painting/wall papering -DIY advice

u_r

Hi all

call upon the expertise of you all!!easter hols have started , weather is nice and time to decorate house for 1st time in life!

want to be very economical(true MSE style!!!) and do as much as poss myself.would like to buy paint for 2.99 and wall paper for 99p if it were possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so please guys-for a beginner.please throw in suggestions asto:
which paint for bedrooms?i am seeing soooooo many types like: vinyl silk, vinyl matt, durable matt etc etc etc.

where to buy cheapest paint and paper?
essential kit-brushes etc
got no ladder-waht else can i use?
how to prepare surfaCE etc?

i am thinking on starting on a box room -to get used to things.can u actually buy paint from carbooot sales, have u seen it in one???any left over tins which i can evn mix if lesser in quantity!this way i can practice and still not spend much!

thnk u for any advice

todolistsocd

*Opinion Only*

Lengthy post.
Hi,
If your not really bothered about it looking like something out of a magazine, I would go with paint.
For paint, I would buy the biggest pot of white vinyl silk emulsion as a start.
If you want a certain colour, instead of paying out untold money, we bought teeny little 99p tester pots, any colour.
Pour some into a large saucepan then add your colour pot give it a good stir...bingo!
Ready mixed coloured paint to go on your walls...Done!

If you have kids, I would suggest vinyl silk as you can wipe marks off whereas Matt very easily marks and comes off easily when you wipe it.
The lighter the paint, the bigger and cleaner it will make the room look however; more effort to keep it that way.
The darker the paint, smaller it will make the room look but easier to maintain and hide scuffs and dirty marks.

Homebase do an excellent cheap water based gloss that is non toxic, non smelly and you can actually cheat and use that for the walls and woodwork and looks the nuts when it's done.
I think 99p stores do paint brushes, rollers, trays etc.
Be careful because the cheaper the brushes, the more "Hairs" come out in your paint on the wall.
Use a sturdy chair instead of a ladder but be careful.

If your walls have chips, plaster marks or holes etc obviously you need to fill them.
Buy a tube of readymix filler which you get for 99p in £1 shop.
Couple of sheets of sandpaper and your done, which you can also get from 99p stores.

Hope this helps!

u_r

thank u v v much todolistocd for your reply!!!

it has not been touched for past 11 years.as long as it has a lick of paint, not bothered abt magaziine look!

thts just the sort of advice i neeed to get started.love the idea of tester paints to add to white!!!!cool anf crafty!! and thts what my idea of visiting the car boot was about. see if i can get a few left over paint pots, mix them and use in boxroom etc.but now dont neeed to go!!lovely idea.

apart from box room, ceilings are too high,so cahir wont work.now thinking of borrowing a ladder from somone on the street!

some rooms may need papering-as their are cracks.even though i will fill them before paper.but they are likely to start reappearing after a few months.thats is due to an issue that needs sorting , but cant afford.

also, can u pls advise about:
how to clean brush after painting?what to use?
if roller is used, there is a protective sheet which can be stuck to the paint tray so can be cleaned, reused easily.can u use clingfilm instaed??

thnks again for advice.

misgrace

u_r wrote: »

also, can u pls advise about:
how to clean brush after painting?what to use?
if roller is used, there is a protective sheet which can be stuck to the paint tray so can be cleaned, reused easily.can u use clingfilm instaed??

thnks again for advice.

If you are emulsioning using a brush or roller then wrap it in a couple of carrier bags in between coats, whether you are painting white ceilings or any wall colour, just wrap each colour brush/roller in plastic bags and wrap either a elastic band, or masking tape around the handle so the air doesnt get to it, this can last for well over a week, so you dont need to wash them out till your finished.

For the paint tray, you can use cling film, but a plastic bag over it does the same trick.

For your oilbased brushes... if your going to use them the next day, again you can wrap them in double plastic bags, wrapped up tight, they will last till the next day, no need to put them in white spirit, if your not going to use them again for a couple of days, you can place them in water, as long as you shake the surplus water out, and give them a dry with kitchen roll.
Then when your finished clean them with white spirit.

todolistsocd

*Opinion Only*
Hi,

I think "Misgrace" says it all.
Good luck with your decorating.

u_r

thank miss grace(and todolistocd aswell!!) for the advice!i reallly had no clue that u cud leave teh brushes like that!thought they need washing end of every day!!

first time doing this-so every little info is really useful for me so thanks once again!

watched 60 min makeover 2day as was home(not at wrk) and even got a cpl of tips from there too!!!!!!! i thought sugar soap , or wall paper glue mixture is only used for removing paper.the guy said that u can add a bit of washing up liquid if needed!

also reading up on others threds here-which can be useful.

must say-been a bit lazy aint even started stripping paper yet!!

take care

todolistsocd

Hi U,

We've all got to start somewhere!
I'm sure Misgrace would agree...If you need anymore advice, you know where we are!

BTW better to do decorating in Summer, as all your windows can be left open (through fumes) without it being freezing or wasting your heating!
Have a good one!

misgrace

Hi U_R, please be careful on how cheap you buy your wall paper,(specially Vinyl) the cheaper it is the more trouble you will have, I always refuse to hang cheap wallpaper as I know what the comebacks can be.

Its not only that its thin like toilet paper, and you can rip it, tear it when your trying to cut top and bottom, or round plug sockets, but if the face of the paper is even slightly shiny you will see cut lines through the facing, every little little tear will magnify, if your using a cheap anaglypta and want to emuslion over it, then you will flatten all the butt joins as you roll.

Your best bet and expecially you have issues with the cracks is to line using at least 1200 grade lining paper, cut out the cracks and fill as normal, if there are loads of cracks that need filling I would suggest you brush over the fillied areas with a slightly diluted PVA, this will give the filler like a hard boiled egg finish and hold back from further cracking, also by hanging lining paper if the crack tries to rear its ugly head again the LP will hold it at bay for much longer, plus by applying the pva also prevents the paste from the LP reacting to the filler and causing it to crumble underneath your LP, and you dont want that, as you have see bulges and little pinheads through your LP which means you will have to remove the length.

You dont need to wash down with Sugar soap if you are re-hanging paper, but if you are painting the walls instead, then wash with SS, this will elimate any contamination left over from your existing wall paper paste reacting with your new paint, which will cause crazing, (tiny hairline cracks) all over your walls and peeling and bubbling of your new coats of paint.

Just print these suggestions off to keep for when you come to start.:)

u_r

thank you ever sooo much misgrace for allllllllllllll that info.i defo need to print it to get my head round that!!!!!!!!!!!!!are you sure u r a diy'er or a pro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

u_r

NEW SET OF QUESTIONS!

ok then-instead of creating diff threads for various Q's, i'll keep adding to this one!!!!!!!

today started stripping paper in one room. loads of layers of what seems as underlay/or backing of wallpaper!!!!!!!!!!!underneath all at some poits ugly bumps and lumps!glad didnt buy paper or paont before hand as now will assess walls and buy accordingly!

Q-when I take wall paper off-it splits into two layers.top coloured and second skin colour paper.should that be happening or am I not soaking the paper enough???


Q-also, apart from paints and paper.what else do i need to buy to start off?
i am shopping on the weekend for this stuff, so would like some suggestions.what is the brush called which is used to smooth the wallpaper on?is it essential or can somthing else b used as an alternative??do i need that wide knife type thing to tuck paper into skirting and cut off??

waht i have in mind is:brushes, roller(and tray), masking tape, filler(for cracks), ..........., .........., ........

many thanks

u_r

todolistocd- trust me its goign to take me a long time thats why i started now and not in summer.plus had easter hols as in summer gonna be busy with family wedding-so its slow and steady for me!

would have liked to have done when bit warmer though!