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Posts Tagged ‘find a decorator<’
With the right planning and preparation, interior decorating can be great fun, and will certainly add to the value of your home too. Don’t make the mistake of under-estimating the task though – you could end up having to find a decorator, just make sure they are one of Mr-Skill’s if you do!
Light and Bright versus Dark and Heavy
A general rule with interior decorating is that strong and bright colours reflect energy. Conversely, darker richer colour choices may come across as somewhat drab and austere – although there are of course exceptions. If in doubt, rather go for an off-white, cream or beige. These form the neutral range, and help to tie together virtually any other colours present in your furniture, fittings and wall hangings.
Neutral choices have the added advantage of staying popular for much longer, as they remain the number-one choice for many people. Keep in mind that light and neutral colours create the impression of more space in your rooms, whereas a darker paint choice usually has the opposite effect.
Before You Start
You should decide on your colour schemes, in order to buy the right paint first time. As with all DIY projects, shop around, but don’t compromise too much on the quality of the paint you choose. While out shopping, remember to  stock up on brushes, rollers, trays, spackling and sandpaper too. Make sure that you have everything you need before you start the job. In fact, why not look to Mr-Skill for some decorating quotes – you may be pleasantly surprised, then you can sit back and enjoy the benefits!
Cover the floors with drop sheets, making sure that you shield skirting boards too. Drape the sheets over furniture if you cannot move and store these items elsewhere. Now, you can start preparing the wall surfaces to be painted, filling cracks and holes as you go.
Smooth off any patches when they are dry, and vacuum up any dust. That completes the prepration phase.
Ready, Steady, Go!
You should now be ready to start painting. One of our regular London Decorators advises that once you are ready to roll, try to block out all distractions. They are bound to prove irritating, and all your good planning will be for nought!
Tags: advice, brushes, chart, colours, cover, dark, decorating, decorating quotes, DIY, drop sheet, find a decorator, floor, larger, light, london decorator, paint, rollers, sandpaper, smaller, spackling
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You have made your mind up and you have decided to clean your garage – again! The first thing you stumble upon is loads of leftover paint pots in various stages of decay. What do you do next? Well, if you are like most of us and are environmentally principled, you should be thinking the three “R’s”. That is, reduce, reuse and recycle.
Does this sound a little hard for you? You could also get a waste removal quote from Mr Skill by clicking on this link. This will direct you to a number of cleaning services. Next time you find a decorator, why not ask them to remove the leftover paint after they have finished?
Reduce – If you find that there’s always some paint left over from a job, this tends to suggest that you are buying too much in the first place. Speak to your friendly paint shop and ask them to calculate your paint requirements next time, based on the measurements you provide. Most paint pots also provide coverage guidelines on their labels.
Reuse – As long as you store leftover paint properly – meaning correct sealing and storage – you can keep the paint for quite a considerable time.  Tip – wipe the rim of the open paint pot clean and replace the lid tightly. Make sure you have a decent seal and then invert the pot. If you store the pot upside-down like this, you should have an airtight seal that will prevent a skin forming under the lid.
Recycle – Check with your local authority when it comes to recycling empty paint containers. The chances are good that these can be handed in at your local waste station. If your paint containers cannot be recycled, dispose of them responsibly as general household waste.
Now my old mate Ray, who’s been a professional London decorator for more decades than he cares to remember, suggests that if you do have usable leftover paint that you are never going to need, then you should try donating it instead. Check your local charity shop for advice. Better still. Make sure the cost of disposing of messy paint pots is included in the painter’s quote next time. This information is provided by Mr-Skill as a public service.
Tags: buy, calculate, charity, clean, container, dispose, donate, find a decorator, garage, leftover, lid, london decorator, measure, old, paint, painters quote, pot, recycle, reduce, remove, reuse, shop, skin, store, tin, waste
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Whether you Find a Decorator on Mr-Skill or do the job yourself, you inevitably end up with left-over pots of paint. Those with just a few scrapings in them are best thrown away. Those still at least a quarter full could be worth preserving for touch-up jobs.
 Reseal Quickly – Air is the enemy of paint because paint’s supposed to dry in its presence. Clean both lid and tin carefully where they come together. Insert a sheet of film or tinfoil. Close firmly to achieve an airtight seal without causing any distortion.
Label the Tin – Begin to clean your brush by painting a colour-patch on the tin in a way that does not cover up any important information. Use a laundry marker to note the dates when bought and used, and the colour code if the paint was specially mixed.
Store Away Sensibly – I know a London Painter who insists in storing paint tins upside down so that the paint remains above the film and not beneath it. I’ve followed his advice and found it works quite well. In any case, store the tin away from extreme heat and cold.
 Using Old Paint – Paint has a limited shelf-life and many manufacturers suggest that it should be used within a year of being purchased. Don’t be tempted to bring down the cost of a Decorating Quote by using paint that’s gone beyond its usefulness. In any case, make sure it’s strained through a fine mesh sieve or piece of muslin, and into a clean container and well stirred.
Storing paint is really only really useful when you have a plan to use it shortly. This could be when you are half-way through an upgrade, and just want to brighten up a wall. In other instances it may just be an excuse to accumulate more clutter.
Be brave. Know the difference. Why not give your old paint tins a fresh view on life instead.
Tags: air, airtight, clean, close, code, cold, colour, container, date, decorating quote, distort, film, find a decorator, foil, heat, label, left over, leftover, london painter, mark, muslin, paint, patch, pot, reseal, sample, scrap, shelf life, shelflife, sieve, store, strain, tin
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 A good London Decorator will tell you that keeping mould at bay is as simple as not creating an environment in which it flourishes. The problem is of course that we share a liking for similar humidity and temperature levels, which is where the problem begins.
Mould is a fungus that spreads across almost any surface, sowing spores everywhere it goes. It’s not poisonous. In fact it’s not dangerous at all. But it is unsightly and nobody likes to see it. It flourishes in warm damp conditions where the temperature is above 70-Degrees Fahrenheit, and the Relative Humidity over 70% too.
- When you shower, open a bathroom window to keep the temperature and humidity down.
- If you can’t stand the idea, then open it before you leave the bathroom, closing the door behind you as you go.
 This is not to say you won’t still get mould on your bathroom ceiling though. You’ll just have to do the following less frequently. If you don’t, you’ll need to Find a Decorator to eventually clear up the mess.
- Wipe away the mould using a damp cloth. Get rid of all of it.
- Sterilize the ceiling using a fungicidal barrier from a mould eradication kit.
- Next time you are looking for a Decorating Quote, specify a fungicidal additive added to the paint.
Now was that really all that complicated? Just another service from Mr-Skill. Your provider of tradesperson quotes at no charge at all.
Tags: damp, decorating quote, door, environment, eradicate, eradication kit, find a decorator, fungicide, humid, london decorator, moist, mold, mould, shower, spores, temperature, warm, window, wipe
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Colour comes free, as my dad who used to work for London Painters until he retired a few years ago loves to say. Or almost free that is, unless you decide to have it specially tinted. This means that the cost of a boring or an exuberant colour scheme is  approximately the same, provided that is you use your imagination.
• The basis of any decorating scheme lies in the juxtaposition of the colours. Choose Tonal when you play with shades of the same colours, or perhaps the same intensity of different ones. Harmonious effects are created by choosing adjacent tints. Complementary colour schemes do exactly that by using opposites.
• The next step is to create a mood. Warm, advancing colours welcome people on cooler days, while cooler, watery colours relax one at any time. Remember that lighting can add dramatic or unexpected effects at different times of day, and in different seasons.
• Inspiration is often found in nature as if it is the work of genius, because the colour combinations often work so well. Try looking at the interior shades of seashells and autumn leaves. Chances are you will be amazed at what you find.
•  Homes should be calm relaxing places, and after you Find a Decorator you do need to discuss a strategy for linking rooms, so that the contrasts do not jar. Think about using Tonal or Harmonious effects to achieve the best results. Door colours require great thought too, which is perhaps so many doors are white these days.
• Before getting started after deciding among your Painting Quotes, please do put up a few test panels first. Any painter you find on Mr-Skill will advise how best to deal with underlying existing colours when you do.
That’s all there really is to a Best Colour Scheme. A little thought, a few test panels and you are almost on your way. If you find the thought of doing the job yourself off-putting though, then why not Find a Painter on Mr-Skill instead?
Tags: calm, colour, complementary, cool, cost, day, decorate, decorator, door, find a decorator, find a painter, free, harmonious, imagination, inspiration, intensity, link, london painters, mood, nature, night, opposite, paint, painter, painting quote, panel, relax, season, test, time, tint, tonal, warm, welcome
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The prospect of picking up a few pots of paint and some paint brushes down at the hardware store, and getting stuck into redecorating over the weekend is an attractive one. But plummeting off a ladder and being crowned by an open tin of paint is hardly such a good idea. 
If you can’t find someone to do a Painting Job in London for you (which is unlikely on Mr-Skill) then here are a few tips to keep you safe:
o Avoid wearing loose clothing of any kind, as this can get tangled in tools and ladders, and might cause a serious injury. The same goes for necklaces and bracelets too. While on the subject of clothing, remember to wear sensible shoes. Many an accident has been caused by beach thongs.
o Make sure that your ladder is in perfect condition, with no damaged steps or missing parts. If it doesn’t click firmly into position and stand steadily, don’t use it. Rather be safe and get some Painting Quotes instead.
o  Keep the floor area clear. More people have tripped and fallen this way than in any other. Create a rule and stick to it.
o Turn off the electricity main switch before you remove any cover plates, and seal off any open spaces around them with painter’s tape before you turn them on again. Don’t take chances here – it’s not all that unusual to find the internals of a switch lying loose inside the cover.
Now that you have had a chance to review the safety aspects outlined above, you may be more inclined to Find a Decorator. Should that be the case then you can locate one on Mr-Skill, where we cover almost every post code, and recommend our tradespeople personally. We wish you a safe day, and happy home decorating!
Tags: accident, bracelet, brush, clear, click, clothing, cover, decorate, electricity, fall, find a decorator, firm, hardware, injury, ladder, loose, necklace, paint, painting job in london, painting quotes, part, plate, pot, safe, shoe, shop, steady, step, store, switch, tape, thong, tin, tool, trip, weekend
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I don’t think we paint our ceilings nearly frequently enough. That’s because they are some distance from us and we hate cricking our necks to check them out. As a result they end up yellowing and can no longer do their job of making a room  look so much bigger, brighter and airier than when they were once so pristine white. If you agree with me, then maybe this is a good time of the year to Find a Decorator.
A ceiling that is lighter than the walls makes it seem higher and the room correspondingly larger too. Personally I don’t like home ceilings painted in colours although I do grant that there are exceptions too. Here’s how to go about the job
o Painters London Wide refuse to do a ceiling job without proper scaffolding, and for your back’s sake I recommend you hire some instead of falling off the ladder while applying sealer and masking tape. Another useful tip is to put down drop-sheets and mask off the walls and skirting boards – an hour spent this way will save hours later scraping and cleaning off when all you really want is your room back.
o Seal all the gaps between the cornice and the ceiling with white acrylic filler and your finger before you start. Remember to smooth off the job with a damp cloth as you go along.
o Cut-in the edges with a one inch pointing brush making sure that the cornice-to-wall joints are tidy when viewed from the floor. My take on this is not to paint the bottom return on the coving so as not to disturb the existing line.
 o When done you can start to roll the ceiling, working in small sections back and forth to achieve effective coverage. If you do not do this properly your patchy ceiling will need a second coat – avoid this by doing the ceiling painting job right first time.
o Do not be in a hurry to remove the masking tape – in fact it is better to do this the following day. This is because you want the skin of paint to dry first, and avoid wet paint on the masking tape messing up your walls as well.
Do not be fooled into thinking that this is an easy job although it is within the scope of the reasonably fit. Mr-Skill could be an easier way to get your ceilings painted and they could help you Get Decorator Quotes too. One final hint – If you do the job yourself, remember to wear old clothes that cover your entire body, gloves, a hat and a face mask.
Tags: acrylic, airier, bigger, brighter, ceiling, clean, cloth, clothes, cornice, cover, coving, damp, decorating job london, decorating quote, decorator london, decorator quote, drop sheet, filler, find a decorator, find a painter, hat, job, ladder, mask, mess, paint, painter london, painter quote, painting job london, painting quote, point, roll, room, scaffold, smooth, tape, white, wipe
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 It can be quite tempting to decide to strip away old paint instead of attempting to recover a painted surface. There can be considerably more to the process than meets the eye though – it can be time-consuming, laborious and quite dangerous too. While Mr-Skill provides the following information in good faith we cannot guarantee it under all eventualities. In fact we really do think that you should consider getting a Decorator Quote instead.
o Conduct Research. How old might the paint job be? This can provide a useful clue to the materials used and the right stripping procedure to follow. Depending on the application you could burn the paint off, or use a chemical stripper. In the former case be aware of fire hazards, in the latter beware of chemical burns. It is also possible to remove paint manually using a paint scraper – this is the hardest but perhaps the safest way.
 o Wear Protective Clothing. We cannot over-emphasize this point. If burning paint away wear safety goggles, a safety mask and heat resistant long-sleeved gloves. If using chemicals substitute more appropriate gloves and wear overalls to protect your clothes and skin. For manual stripping you just need a pair of good strong gloves and loads of patience.
When I was a supervisor doing Painting Jobs in London we refused to do a burn-off job without a liability waiver and a fire extinguisher handy, and never used a chemical stripper where ventilation was inadequate. My motto is why take a chance just to save some money – Find a Decorator who is competent instead.
There are many rated ones on Mr-Skill that you could trust to do the job for you and save you hassles.
Tags: bore, burn, chemical, chemical stripper, clothing, decorating job london, decorating quote, decorator london, decorator quote, find a decorator, find a painter, glove, goggle, laborious, mark, material, paint, painter london, painter quote, painting job london, painting quote, recover, scraper, strip, surface, time consuming
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Does the appearance of your lounge or bedroom depress you? Do you feel like chucking out everything and starting all over again? I heard you loud and clear – not everybody has the money to pay for major redecorations. Instead, here are a few tips on inexpensive innovations that you could even achieve your self.
 o Invest in Full Spectrum Light Bulbs
Many of us still have not quite caught up with modern light bulbs and are using old ones that make everything look dull. Full Spectrum Light Bulbs produce natural illumination just like the sun was shining indoors too. You will be amazed at how much brighter and cleaner everything looks inside your home. Don’t take chances if an old bulb is stuck though – find an electrician at Mr-Skill.
o Apply some Elbow Grease
Now that you can finally see properly in the room you will notice clutter and dirty spots that you may not have noticed before. You need to do two things urgently – first de-clutter the space, and then give everything a good clean. If a piece of unwanted furniture is too heavy for you to shift yourself, find a man-with-a-van here.
o Buy a Small Tin of Paint
A quart-sized tin of modern paint goes a long way these days. You could redecorate one wall, the door or window frames, or even a piece of furniture like a table in a chic new colour. Don’t remodel – just add fresh highlights. This time you may not even need to find a painter.
o Add a Few Accessories
To complete the picture and the transformation of your room why not invest in a few inexpensive accessories like rugs and silk flowers in bright vases Second hand shops often have antique mirrors and table lights that can be spruced up for next to nothing. That way, you get more style for less money too.
By following these ideas, you will achieve an “almost new” room for very little outlay. Thanks Heavens for Mr-Skill and their good ideas.
Tags: accessories, affordable, bathroom, bedroom, cheap, clean, color, colour, de-clutter, declutter, decorator quotes, decorators london, dirt, electrician quotes, electricians london, find a decorator, find a man-with-a-van, find a painter, find a removalist, find an electrician, full spectrum, furniture, highlights, home, innovations, kitchen, lamp, light, light bulb, lounge, man-with-a-van london, man-with-a-van quotes, mirror, moving home quotes, paint, painter quotes, painters london, redecorate, redecorations, removalist quotes, removalists london, rug, table
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Painting is fun. Let’s keep it so by doing a little planning before we dip brush and roller to paint. That way everything will work our great, you will enjoy yourself, and when your friends admire your work they might even think that you had decorators from London in to do the job!
 1. Selecting the colours that you are going to use can be the most difficult step of all. Do you want a warm or cool effect, and energizing feel or a relaxing mood? Try starting with a colour that is already there – the floor covering for example – and work outwards from this. Alternatively, why not copy an existing colour scheme you saw elsewhere.
2. If using more than one colour, think practically as well The space below the wainscotings should be the darker of the two to bed the scheme, while the lighter colour dominates above. Painting trim a lighter colour than the walls makes for a cozier effect. Play with your imagination before you paint.
3. Paint effects can make all the difference to a drab room. Experiment with colour washing and stencilling and break into a whole world of new ideas. Who says all four walls have to be done in exactly the same colour either?
4. Mix shiny and smooth paints for stunning effects. Flat matt finishes hide imperfections and are great for walls not subject to wear and tear.  Satin and eggshell paints are easier to clean, while gloss is robust and makes a statement on the trim.
5. Measure up and make sure you buy enough paint to finish the job with a single batch. The folk down at the hardware store will tell you how much you need when they know the square feet involved.
6. Preparation is your key to success. After completely clearing the room wipe down all the surfaces with diluted washing up soap. Fix cracks, sand them down and wipe clean again. Do you have all the materials you need, and a good ladder too? If so, you are ready to start painting finally! Does this sound like too much hard work? Simple solution, find a decorator at Mr Skill!
7. Mask everything off carefully. I know it is a real pain, however be assured that the painting will go quicker, and that the result will be well worth it too.
 8. Work from the top down. Sounds obvious, however you would be amazed how many people do the ceilings last, and have to touch up splashes everywhere. My advice is, always re-paint the ceiling first, because it will look drab when you have done the rest.
9. Never be tempted to slap on a thick coat of paint. Two thinner coats do a better job, and you will not get so much paint on your hands either.
10. Do the trim last. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, you get less mess on completed work. Secondly, the job ends on a high note.
If the job is a big one though, like redecorating the entire house it could be wiser to have painters in to do the job for you. You will find decorator quotes easily on Mr-Skill, your handyman friend.
Tags: batch, ceiling, coat, color, color washing, colour, colour washing, cool, dark, decorator quotes, decorators london, eggshell, energizing, fill, find a decorator, find a painter, gloss, light, mask, materials, matt, measure, mess, mood, paint, paint effect, painter quotes, painters london, Painting, preparation, relaxing, sand, satin, shiny, smooth, stencil, thick, thin, trim, wall, warm, wash, wipe
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