Painters and Decorators Nottingham

If you are having steel railings or gates fitted (or if you are fitting your own), it is a very good idea to pay a little extra to get the steel galvanized before it is delivered. A galvanized coating is probably the best and most cost-effective way of helping to ensure that your external steelwork remains in great condition for years to come. Not only that, by having your steel galvanized, you will save yourself many hours of painting and treating rust over the years as the maintenance needed on galvanised steel is much less.

Galvanization is the process of coating metal with zinc, sealing it and slowing down the process of water penetrating the metal. Products such as gates and railings are galvanized by dipping them in a bath of molten zinc, which is them left to dry. This process can result in sharp drips and spikes forming when the steel is hung to dry. Most of these drips should be filed down before the steelwork is delivered to you, but it is worth checking to make sure, particularly underneath the handrail.

The main problem with galvanized steel is that, initially at least, it doesn’t take a coat of paint very well. The easiest way to solve this problem is to leave the galvanized to “weather” for four to six months. The effects of wind and weather will dull the coating of zinc and create a key for the paint. After six months, rub the steel down with fine abrasive paper, make sure it is clean, prime it and then paint it with good quality exterior paint.

If you don’t want to wait all that time with unpainted steelwork, you will need to recreate the effect of weathering yourself. This means painting the steel with a water-based alkaline cleanser to slightly soften the zinc coating, and then creating a key with abrasive paper. Alkaline cleanser can be bought from DIY stores and builders merchants.

Paint the alkaline cleanser onto the galvanized steel using an old, clean paint...

There are several ways to strip wallpaper, but the fastest way by far is to use a Wallpaper Steamer or Steam Stripper . These can be bought or hired and should come with all the attachments you need so the only thing you need to add is the water. Using a wallpaper steamer is a good idea if you know that high strength paste was used when the wallpaper was hung.

Using a Wallpaper Steamer Safely
As you will basically be applying water to the wall, and there are probably going to be light switches and sockets on the wall, you need to think about safety. Consider cutting a square of plastic from a carrier bag and taping it over sockets and switches before you start. Make sure you switch off the power at the consumer unit if working anywhere near electrical fixtures with steam or water.

Make the room ready as you normally would for any decorating task. Put dust sheets down and wear old clothing. It is also a good idea to have some old rubber gloves to wear whilst using the stripper. You will be creating a lot of steam and therefore condensation could be a problem. Always work with a window open if possible and remove any delicate fabrics from the room.

Fill the tank on the stripper to the indicated level, switch it on and wait for the Ready light to come on. Whilst you are waiting, use a paper scoring tool to score the surface of the paper on one wall of the room. Paper scoring tools sometimes come with the steam stripper, but if not they can be bought cheaply from most DIY stores. Scoring the paper allows the steam to more easily penetrate behind it.

When the steam stripper is ready to go, choose a sheet of wallpaper to start with and, with your left hand, hold the steam plate of the stripper flat against the paper at the bottom right corner. Hold the plate in place for about a minute or until signs of damp start to show around the edge of the plate. Move the plate across to the next dry area of paper with your left hand and use a paper knife in your right hand to strip the steamed paper you have just revealed.

Work your way across one sheet of wallpaper in this way and then move up to the next dry area and work your way across the sheet again. In no time at all you should be able to work your way up a full sheet and strip it away from the wall. If you encounter any particularly tough areas, simply hold the steam plate over that area for a bit longer before trying to strip with the paper knife.

When the steam stripper starts to run low on water, turn it off for a minute before filling the tank back up with cold water. Turn it on and let it heat the water up again before you continue.

If the paper is stuck directly to plasterboard rather than a plaster skin, you will need to be a bit more careful with the stripper and especially with the paper knife. Keep the knife as flat as possible and try not to let the corners dig into the surface.

Having the correct Wallpaper Tools at hand makes preparing and hanging wallpaper a much easier DIY project. Although not all of the tools mentioned here will be needed for every wallpapering project some, such as a clean bucket and the correct brushes, are essential.

Bucket – A clean plastic bucket, used for holding the wallpaper paste. Tie string across the top, between the handle brackets, so you can rest your pasting brush on it. It is better to buy a new bucket to use for wallpaper paste only, rather than reusing a bucket which might have dust and dirt in it.

Craft Knife – A sharp craft knife is better for cutting heavy paper or vinyl than scissors. Using scissors on heavy paper will increase the chance of you ripping or tearing the paper, particularly pasted paper. Remember to use with a metal straight edge.

Metal Rule – Make sure this is at least long enough to span the width of the paper. Don’t be tempted to use a piece of wood, etc. You can buy long metal straight edges for less than £10.

Pasting Brush – Most paste brushes have synthetic bristles and plastic handles to avoid rusting. The pasting brush you choose should be at least 100mm wide and used only for pasting. Many pasting brushes now feature a hook for hanging it on the side of a bucket.

Pasting Table - If you plan on doing a lot of wallpapering, a purpose-built pasting table is a great investment. You can buy a good pasting table for as little as £25, with cheap ones costing under £10.

Pencil – Use a HB or soft lead pencil, which will mark the paper clearly without needing too much pressure applied.

Plumb Line – A plumb line is an essential tool when starting any papering job. It allows you to find true verticals and is used to set the first sheet of wallpaper. You can also use a Laser Level if you have one.

Rags – Clean, lint-free rags are useful for cleaning your pasting table.

Sanding Pad – Useful to have close at hand to remove any scraps of paper left on a stripped wall.

Scissors – A small set of trimming scissors and a large set for cutting your paper ready to hang. Trimming scissors are used to cut around obstructions such as light fittings and window sills.

Seam Roller – This small plastic or wood roller is designed specifically for finishing seams in wallpaper. Seam rollers are also useful for other DIY jobs such as fitting flashing, so having one in your toolbox is a good idea....