Surface Preparation
The most important thing before starting any work is to ensure that you have a good surface. There is no point in trying to use shortcuts here as it will probably only lead to double the work in the future.
If you are starting from scratch then that's excellent as you'll have a blank canvas to work with, if like most people the room is already decorated then this is where the hard work begins.
If the walls are just painted then fill any cracks or holes first, once this is done paint one coat of vinyl emulsion over all the walls. Types of Paints and Brushes
This will cover the walls sufficiently for you to start painting your design. Don't worry if some slight bits of the old colour show through the white as your design will cover this completely. What you are looking to achieve is a canvas on which to start.If the walls are wallpapered then it's always best to strip it off, I know that you can paint over wallpaper but this is by no means ideal. The best surface for a new design is bare plaster. So the first thing is to strip the walls back to the plaster behind, use a steam stripper to make life easier, if you don't own one, there should be a Hire Shop in your area which will allow you to hire steam strippers by the day at a reasonable cost, check the your local Yellow Pages.
Once the wallpaper is off, again check for any imperfections in the wall and rectify them, before painting on your base coat of white paint.
This is the time to paint the ceiling, don't leave that until the end as the last thing you want to do is drip paint all over your new design, so do it now before starting on any walls.Any woodwork in the room i.e. skirting boards, windowsills or door frames need to be painted next. If they are white and you are leaving them so then just sand the woodwork down and give it two coats of gloss paint. If you are staining the woodwork or you want a natural finish then all the old paint will need to be removed. Use a blow torch or strong stripping solution, if you do not have a blow torch again these can easily be hired, and if your using paint stripper remember to wear gloves and follow the instructions exactly as they are detailed on the packet.
Once this is done you can paint the walls white, to protect any areas you don't want to cover use a low tack tape to protect the area.
When all the paint is dry you can begin to transfer your design.
Accessories Store
Create A Design
Search Directory
