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Posts Tagged ‘sanding<’
Posted in Plastering & Drywall on Sep 12
If you have just had a new drywall built, the finishing off is easy enough to do yourself – assuming of course you have the basic know-how. However if you are still to build your drywall, you need look no further than Mr-Skill, where you can find a plastering and drywall expert to do the job for you perfectly. A drywall is an easy and neat way of partitioning or dividing a given area, and if space permits, you could gain an extra room by planning carefully.
Finishing Your Drywall 
Once your new wall is complete, you will need to sand it to provide a smooth and perfect surface for later painting or wallpapering. Wet sanding is far preferable to dry, simply because of all the dust and mess the latter method creates. In fact, one of our regular London plastering and drywall specialists far prefers the wet method of sanding as it makes for a much cleaner and healthier environment too. Let’s see what is involved:
- The first step is to pop down to your local hardware supplier and buy a sponge specifically designed for the wet sanding process. It’s not that expensive, but it is manufactured with an abrasive edge for sanding purposes, while the flip side is a sponge for wiping sludge away.
- Once you have your sponge, you need to dampen it, but don’t saturate it in water because this will quickly soak into the plaster surface which will make life very difficult if not impossible. The aim is to moisten the sponge just enough to gather the sand and dust effectively.
Wringing the Sponge
As you work, you will notice that your sponge is gathering increasing amounts of powdery residue from the drywall, so you will need to wring it out quite regularly. The wringing process maintains a clean and clear sponge face for further wet sanding work. Don’t forget to re-moisten the sponge after wringing it!
Message form our Sponsors! 
If this is all sounding too difficult or messy you could also get a plastering and dry wall quote from one of the many members signed up with Mr-Skill. Remember to ask for that special discount too!
Clean up Time!
Whether you are doing the wet sanding yourself, or using one of Mr-Skill’s experts, be sure to clean up properly when finished. Use a facemask and rubber gloves to protect your face and hands. Hopefully, you remembered to cover furniture and electrical appliances to prevent them from becoming dirty!
Tags: basics, design, drywall, dust, find a plastering and drywall expert, furniture, gloves, hardware, london plastering and drywall specialist, manufacturer, planning, plasterer, plastering expert, plastering-and-drywall quote, process, sanding, space, specialist, sponge, surface
Posted in Plastering & Drywall | Comments Off
Scuffed and damaged wood trim around the home is not very attractive. Interestingly, it’s not all that difficult to restore these important details to their former glory. With thorough preparation, decent paint and a good eye for detail, you’ll soon have your handiwork admired.
Proper Preparation 
It’s all about the effort you put in to preparation. First, remove all flaky paint, and then use a fine-grade sand paper to smooth over the surface. You don’t necessarily have to go back to the raw wood, just an even surface will do. One of our regular London painters is a perfectionist of note. He says that you should mask off the surrounding wall and floor surfaces before you start. Your call then!
First Coat
Having prepared the trim, you now need to apply a primer coat throughout. This is to seal the wood and create a firm bonding surface for the middle, or the undercoat. Always allow a decent time for newly-painted surfaces to dry – read the instructions on the paint pot carefully. Keep in mind that wet or humid conditions add to the drying time.
Undercoating
Apply a decent quality undercoat, because this is ultimately the barrier to future scuffing and chaffing. A weak, thin application of it will not stand up to the punishment it’s going to take in your home. Some people just don’t like painting or feel they don’t gave the required skills. In such cases, Mr-Skill has an abundant supply of professionals ready to assist – get your painting quote right here and save up to 30% of the normal price too.
Top Coat
There are some excellent paint products on the market these days. With non-drip paints, with low, or no odour, diamond-tough finishes and a host of colours to choose from, what more could a professional want? Remember to use good quality brushes and don’t overload the head with paint, because it’s going to cause runs instead of the smooth finish you desire.
Final Tips
Here at Mr-Skill we always provide free advice, and when it comes to painting the trim around your home, we suggest that you start early in the morning. Don’t forget to allow sufficient time between coats, and cleaning up properly is always worth the effort. One last tip – if you want a first-class job, find a painter from the many professionals registered with us. Our motto is “No Fuss, no Bother, just a Job Well Done!”
Tags: application, bonding, chaffing, find a painter, floors, free advice, london painter, Painting, painting quote, preparation, primer, restore, sanding, scuffing marks, smooth surface, top coat, undercoat, walls, wood, wood trim
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
 As with any DIY job, correct preparation is the key to getting a project done efficiently with the final effect exactly how you planned it. With painting or staining a floor, correct preparation is even more important, as floors have a lot more use made of them than walls or ceilings and getting a sound, solid finish the first time will save on re-touching in the future.
If you have any creaking or squeaking floorboards in the room you are going to decorate, now might be the time to fix them. If you require any assistance from a local carpenter in London, you can “Post-a-Job” and ask for a free carpenters quote or follow our “Project Advice” on how to repair creaking and squeaking floorboards.
If you are painting or staining a floor which has existing paint or varnish on it, you are going to have to sand it right back to the bare boards. This is best done with an electric sander, but make sure that you are wearing goggles and a dust mask before you start, and that the room is well ventilated. Corners and areas near skirting boards can be done with a mini-sanding attachment on a power drill or by hand with sandpaper – although using the latter method can be backbreaking!
Once you have sanded the floor, Hoover the room thoroughly and use white spirit to wipe clean the floorboards. If you are looking to enhance the grain features in the wood, gently stroke each board with a wire brush following the direction of the grain. Then, depending on your preferred finish, start painting or staining from the furthest corner of the room from the door
Wood Stain
Wood stain is available as water-based or solvent-based product in a wide range of colours. It provides a lighter finish than varnish and the solvent-based wood stain also has strong protective qualities. To apply wood stain, seal your freshly stripped (or newly laid) floorboards with a clear Polyurethane varnish and allow to dry. Then apply up to three coats of wood stain depending on the depth of colour and level of protection that you want. Tip: Water-based wood stain, although not offering as much protection as the solvent-based equivalent, dries much faster.
Paint
If you are painting your floor, you may not need to go through the procedure of sanding it down beforehand depending on the colour you are painting over. Making sure that it is free from dust however is important if you want to obtain a perfect finish. Painting bare floorboards with a satinwood paint can leave a really nice finish or standard emulsion will suffice in all but the heaviest areas of foot traffic. Whichever finish you choose, once the paint is dry protect it with a coat or two of clear varnish.
Varnish
Like wood stain, varnish is also available in either water-based or solvent-based formulas. Solvent-based offers the best results in many cases but can be unpleasant to apply due to the strong smell. Although varnishing your floorboards will produce a stunning finish, you need to consider than after a few years of wear and tear varnish inevitably begins to crack or shrink, and this may mean performing the whole task once again!
If there are any areas of this specific project which you are unsure about, or you like the idea of having a freshly painted or stained wooden floor but are not confident of doing the job yourself, you can contact a selection of local decorators in London by using the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of this page.
Tags: Decorating & Interior Design, emulsion, find a carpenter in London, find a handyman in London, find a painter in london, floorboards, floors, interior decoration, Painting, sanding, satinwood, staining, varnish, wood stain
Posted in Painting & Decorating | Comments Off
 Maybe a little ambitious for the artistic amateur! Image courtesy of Electrolux "War on White" There are a number of circumstances when you may want to paint your fridge. Possibly you have just decorated your kitchen and there is no budget left for buying matching appliances. Maybe you fancy a change of style (see our “Inspirations” feature for what can be done to a fridge to brighten it up) or you just want to cover up a few scratches or bumps which are giving away your refrigerators´ age. Irrespective of your motive, preparation for the job is the same and you need to be sure that you are using the correct type of paint – preferably an oil based enamel paint –and it might be advisable to seek the advice of a London interior designer or a local decorator in London in our Tradesmen´s Directory before you commence.
Although this job is better done outside, it may be impractical to carry a fully-laden fridge into the garden, so make sure that the area that you are working in is well ventilated (especially if using spray paint) and place covers down on the floor in case of any spillages. It is also an idea to wear a sleeveless top or T-shirt to prevent loose clothing brushing against wet paintwork.
The first step is to clean the outside of the refrigerator with a strong household cleaner, rinse and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. Then, using very fine sandpaper, you need to sand the exterior surface of the refrigerator which is going to be painted. Continue sanding until the shine from the original surface is gone as this will give the new paint a better surface to stick to. Using masking tape, cover door handles, hinges, the manufacturer’s logo and any other areas you do not wish painted. Areas that are too intricate to mask can be covered with Vaseline which is easy to rub off when you have finished.
You can either use a spray paint gun or roller to apply the paint on your refrigerator. A roller is more practical if you are doing this job inside, but be careful of leaving paint bubbles on the surface of the door. For small chips and blemishes, you may just want to use a paintbrush, and people painting designs on their fridge doors often find that a pre-cut stencil makes the work easier than doing it freehand. If you are going for the all-over designer fridge look, paint the background colour first, allow to dry and then apply the foreground design. Tip: It is better to work from the middle out when applying a foreground design, as the centre will normally be the focus and if you muck it up, you can go back and start again.
Once you have finished and allowed the paint to dry, carefully remove the masking tape and, hey presto, you effectively have a new fridge!
Although most kitchen appliances can painted this way, those which provide intense heat are not considered safe to paint with regular enamel paint. These require a specialist heat-resistant paint, and if you have any questions about this, or would like further advice about unique and stylish decoration of your kitchen, please use the “Post-a-Job” facility at the top of the page to have specialist local designer contact you and offer advice.
Tags: enamel paint, Home Improvements, interior decoration, kitchen appliances, masking, paint roller, Painting, refrigeration, refrigerator, sanding, spray paint
Posted in Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating | 1 Comment »
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