We are a small team of private house Painters and Decorators in the Bristol and Weston super mare area

Textured ceiling paper
 often requires a coat of paint following application. For best results use a vinyl matt or silk emulsion. Test silk emulsions on a small area before painting as some can cause a chemical reaction with certain types of wallpaper.If there is a reaction from the paint to the wallpaper read the label on the paint tin.

There is an easier way (well a bit easier) Use Pre-pasted Wallpaper, Just soak and hang, ask your decorating materials shop.

How to strip wallpaper

Stripping wallpaper tips
The first step in redecorating is stripping the old wallpaper off, a horrible job, but these tips may make it a bit easier. The method for stripping wallpaper is basically the same for whatever type of wallpaper is being stripped , warm water and washing up liquid or steam. Patterned and plain wallpapers should come of easily using water and washing-up liquid .Leave the warm water to soak in for about half an hour and then starting from the top (its less messy that way and you can run water down the wall if you hit a difficult bit) use 3 to 4 inch scrapper to scrape the wallpaper off.

Emulsion painted wallpapers will be a bit tougher so rough up the surface before sponging on the water and washing up liquid.
Washable and other painted wallpapers can be hard going with water , roughing up the surface will help a bit but you will be better off hiring a steamer.
Vinyl wallpapers have a top layer which should just peel off leaving the backing paper. You can wallpaper oner this if its not damaged or strip it with water. Try to get hold of as wide a strip of vinyl as possible. It saves a lot of time If you can pull off large pieces if its tending to get narrower as you pull it, try pulling it sideways.

 Quick tips if you can't be bothered to read the stripping wallpaper tips above. Protect the flooring and any furnishings in the room, using plastic sheeting covered with newspaper or old curtains to stop any spilt water soaking the carpet or going through the floorboards and have a bin or some carrier bags ready to put the soggy wallpaper in. Its still sticky and once trampled in, is difficult to remove. Dont forget roughing up the surface helps the wallpaper absorb the water or steam .Special tools are available but scratching the surface with a course sandpaper will do the trick. Apply plenty of warm water and washingup liquid with a sponge about 30 minutes before stripping. If the wallpaper is particulary hard to remove hiring a steam machine is the only answer. Just follow the instructions.
 
Dont like messy jobs and got better things to do, GIVE DECORATORMAN A SHOUT if you live in the Weston super mare or Bristol area.

How to remove a carpet and go back to floor boards

Back to wood
What's under your carpet ? If your house was built in the 30s or before, you will probably find a good wooden floor. Check a corner by pulling  a bit of carpet up,you can always put it down again if you are disappointed, BUT my guess is you will be thrilled with what you find,  real wooden floor boards.(By removing your carpet you will also remove the Dust mites that live in it).  The floor boards may need a bit of cleaning, some paint to remove around the edges, because it dates back to the olden days before fitted carpets when folks used to paint around the edge of the rug or carpet that sat in the middle of the room.
The floor boards may need a bit of cleaning, some paint to remove around the edges, because it dates back to the olden days before fitted carpets when folks used to paint around the edge of the rug or carpet that sat in the middle of the room.
Don't be put of, if it needs cleaning, providing the floor hasn't got woodworm, to many damaged floor boards or very wide gaps between the floor boards (unlikely, cowboy builders were almost unknown in olden days) its not a difficult job and I have included a few tips below.
First you will need to remove the old dusty carpet (one real benefit its healthier, no dust mites and much easier to clean up spills, Red wine, Curry etc

Taking up the old carpet
No need to clear the room of furniture and clutter at this stage. Using a sharp Stanley knife cut the carpet and underlay into strips, start the end furthest from the door and as you pull up the strips move your furniture and clutter onto the clear floor and work through the room. The strips of carpet will be light enough to handle, good idea if you can to shove them straight out of the window, not so far to carry to the skip.

Cleaning and preparing the floor boards.
Providing you are happy with the colour and they havn't been varnished, you wont need to use a sanding machine, so won't have to clear your clutter from the room.
If you havn't already done so you will need to remove the strips of spiky metal used to hold the carpet, I used a chisel and hammer to lever them off. Be careful not to mark the floor boards and skirting boards.

Stripping the paint off
 Floor stripper or other products that are ammonia-free, fast acting and detergent-enhanced (allowing the chemicals to strip efficiently without harming the floor) are good product choices. Quality strippers will also be easy to use and won't require use of abrasive pads or brushes. They will have a high solid content for increased protection of the floor surface.Nitro more or a similar paint stripper also works well. READ THE LABEL.

Cleaning the floorboards.
There are to many floor detergent and cleaners to list,look for a product that is low foaming and a general detergent that may be used in automatic scrubbers, with a neutral pH level that will remove dirt and protect the polish. but once you have loosened any stubborn build up of dirt, washing up liquid works as well as most. Be careful not to flood the floor, water is woods worst enemy.Read the instructions on the container but in general apply  with a sponge mop and mop up excess detergent and water. Rinse with clean, warm water to remove all residues, since any detergent film remaining will cause stickiness and will trap tracked-in dirt.

Polishing your floorboards.
Once the floor is  cleaned, apply a light coat of polish to restore its lustre. Most polishes contain high-performance acrylics and a high solid percentage. High solids allow for easy application, and good levelling and buffing results, and dry bright without buffing.For best results read the label for tips on applying the wood floor polish.

Looking after your new OLD FLOOR
Old wood flooring is very durable and resilient but needs a bit of care.A light daily sweeping, dust mopping or vacuuming will prevent dirt and grit from being ground into the floor and a light weekly clean with a damp mop should be enough to remove all the dirt.  Buffing over will remove most scuffmarks and light scratches and add lustre while dislodging dirt and blending touch-up spots.  If you  like what you see, youv'e finished,   BUT!!   if not, move to the next step

Badly marked,chipped varnish or just don't like the colour of your floor boards
 Refinishing can return it to its original beauty. It sounds like a major a major job and is a messy dusty job, but if you have the time, refinishing your floor can be done yourself in a couple of days, 

Remove everything setting on the floor, furniture, rugs, clutter ect. Also remove the skirting boards,  Put them back on when you are finished sanding. Check the floor for  protruding nails and loose or skeaky floor boards.  The nails can be tapped in or pulled out. Loose floor boards should be screwed tight. Make sure you screw next to the original nails to ensure you screw into a joist and not a water pipe

Use a drum sander with coarse sandpaper to remove the original finish, sanding with the grain, overlapping areas you have already sanded on each pass. Use a finer grade of sandpaper to finish off. You will need a floor edger for nearer the walls and on stairs and a hand sander for corners.
 
Clean the floor of any dirt or sawdust with a vacuum cleaner. Once the floor is smooth and free of debris put on one layer of penetrating sealer, you can normally apply the second coat 24 hours later and wax or polish a few days later, but once again read the makers instructions as wood polishes and waxes vary. 

 Now finish the job on your new OLD FLOOR by replacing the skirting boards.

Dont fancy the hastle give DecoratorMan painter and decorator a call Painting and decorating quotes are free in  Bristol, Weston super mare,Bath and North Somerset Area.

Most of my painters and decorators work in Bristol comes from Repeat business, I use quality materials supplied by me or if you prefer to buy your own I can advice on the best paint for the job in hand i/e To cover interior plaster,wallpaper,wood or for exterior paintwork,brick work, rendering and timber etc..
Painting and decorating quotes for residential private house decorating are supplied free in Bristol,Weston super mare,Burnham on sea,Worle,Milton,Highbridge,Bleadon,Uphill,Hutton,Locking,Banwell and North Somerset.  area and will detail the work to be carried out in your house. Payment is made after the work is finished. We never ask for a deposit on jobs taking under one week to complete.