Painting / Decorating in Berkeley

How To Paint A Radiator

First thing you should know about painting a radiator is that normal paints can’t be used to do the job, however that doesn’t mean it’s not cheap, easy and fun - it definitely is and even more so, when you do it the right way. With a few radiator painting hints here, it’s only a matter of time before you start painting your radiators every colour of the rainbow delightfully.

Painting a radiator is not one of the most common tasks on most people’s to do list, so we’ve created this article as an encouraging nudge to allow more people let their creativity manifest through a brush. However, this is not to say that this is a task for everyone though as you won’t like to make a mess of your radiator. If you know you can’t pick up a brush or bend a knee or your back here and there, then you probably shouldn’t. In such cases, hiring a professional painter would be your best bet to get the best results while also saving yourself some time and money.

To paint a radiator, you’ll need a paint brush, suitable radiator paint, dust sheet and a radiator paint brush (optional).

✓ Turn off the radiator and leave it to cool off. Once it’s cold, simply wipe out all dust, dirt or grease from the radiator.

✓ Protect the flooring under the radiator from any paint splatter with a by spreading out a dust cloth.

✓ Use a suitable radiator paint to brush out well and lay off evenly in a direction. Leave it to dry overnight. Then apply paint on the radiator in direction of the grooves with the help of a top quality brush.

✓ Paint in sections and move across the radiator slightly overlapping until you get to the end. The move to paint the other areas.

✓ Leave the paint to dry as instructed in the manufacturer’s instructions, then apply a second coat if necessary.

How Much For A Painter To Paint A Room?

If you’re looking to have your room painted, it’s only normal to get an idea of how much it’s going to cost so you can set a budget and start planning. As you would have expected, the cost of having a room painted is dependent on a wide array of influencing factors such as the size of your room, the type of paint to be used, your location and many more. As a result, providing a single and accurate answer to this question is almost impossible.

Generally, a regular 4 metres by 3 metres room will take just a couple of days to be fully painted including both the coving and woodwork. Outside London, most painters and decorators would charge within the range of £150 to £200 per day meaning that you’ll have a total labour cost within the range of £300 to £400. What’s more? You’d also have to consider the price of the paint to be used which is usually around £50. If you add all the costs together you’ll get an average cost of about £400 to £500.

Unfortunately, paint does not last an eternity. Therefore, there’ll come a time where you’d have to consider painting your room all over again. It may seem unwise to employ the services of a professional painter and decorator especially if you’re on a budget. However, in truth, calling in a professional can go a long way to save you time, stress and money. In other words, even if you’re worried about the cost, a professional painter is still your best bet in the long run as they know exactly what to do to ensure you derive maximum benefits from your painting project.

There are lots of paints that are suitable for different areas of your property. In general, gloss and eggshell paints should be used in high traffic areas, whereas matte paints are suitable for lower traffic areas. Professional painters and decorators can give you advice on the most suitable types of paints.

What Insurance Does A Painter Need?

As a painter, you’re most likely going to require three forms of insurance which includes public liability, income protection as well as tool insurance. However, you should take note that outside these three, there are also several other forms of insurance whose relevance will only be determined by the nature of your business. Now let’s take a closer look into the three most important forms of insurance for painters.

✓ Public liability. What’s surprising here is the fact that many painters are actually aware that they should have a public liability insurance, but only a few really knows what it actually covers. Essentially, what a public liability insurance does is to protect you in the event whereby you messed up and some else suffers a loss as a result of your actions. Third parties can suffer a property damage or personal injury as a result of your negligence. It does not in any way cover the damages to your own property or injuries suffered by you or your staff.

✓ Income protection. As a subcontractor or self employed painter, you’ll be in the best position to know that if you don’t work, there’ll be no money for you. And with no sick leave and possibly no workers’ compensation, then financial problem looms. But not to worry, you can protect yourself from this risk by getting an income protection insurance.

✓ Tool insurance. It’s always a terrible feeling when you go to the site only to discover your tools such as ladders, spray guns, trestles and equipment are suddenly no where to be found. Upon discovery of this situation, you’ll start thinking about the cost of replacing all the tools. With a tool insurance, you can be protected against these sort of situations whereby your tools are stolen, damaged and lots more.