Find a Decorator you can trust in Orkney.

Hiring a decorator for your project always seem easy until you get started. With a wide range of decorators available today, it can be quite tricky separating the boys from the men and selecting the right tradesman for your unique project. There are a number of things to put into consideration, questions to ask and lots more to ensure your decorating job is awarded to the right tradesman. In this post, we’re going to give you an insight on some of the essential questions to ask to make sure the prospective decorator is a good match. Let’s take a look!

• What qualifications do you possess? With the pool of decorators around in the industry today, qualifications are needed to help you determine the true specialists. A qualified decorator gives you an assurance (to some extent) that a quality work would be done to your requirements. Decorators, generally, can earn a degree which includes course work in architecture and are also licensed.
• How do you help me identify and communicate my style to you? If you have an idea and know what you want for your space, a good decorator should be able to get it out of you by showing you pictures and asking questions which can vary widely.
• Do you have examples of previous work that are similar to my project in style, scope as well as budget? A decorator that answers yes to this question is a good indicator that they can handle your project. If they don’t, you can ask for pictures of projects they feel is quite similar to yours

How Much To Paint A House Exterior?

Do you feel your home is need of a lift to enhance its visual appeal or give it some TLC? In order to impress your visitor or potential buyers, kerb appeal is simply everything. Many homeowners are usually discouraged due to the thought that a painting job is always an expensive one with not so much value in return. However, in reality, painting your home’s exterior is actually one of the most significant improvements one can make as it tells your story and communicates your value.

The cost of getting a house exterior painting job done is based on a number of things which includes the type of walls you possess, whether it’s a maintenance project, whether it’s your first time of painting the house as well as your location. So what’s involved in a painting job?

✓ Scrapping off the loose paint.

✓ Brushing off cobwebs and dust on the surface

✓ Washing the wall

✓ Application of fungicide to mouldy patches

✓ Repairing minor damages

✓ Applying paint surface stabiliser

✓ Applying two coats of your chosen paint

✓ Disposal of waste as well as a full clean up of the site.

Below is a breakdown of the cost of painting the exterior of a house. Kindly note that this is just an example (using a semi detached house) to give you an idea of how much your project is going to cost.

✓ Costly scaffolding isn’t required here but platform towers can be need - this will cost about £80 to £100.

✓ Materials including sand or cement for repairs, plastic sheeting, tape, paint, masonry stabiliser as well as fungicide treatment will cost about £200 to £300

✓ Cost of labour for two workers £700 to £1000 based on the location

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.

This is one of the most common questions when it comes to upvc windows. If you’re also interested in knowing the possibility of spraying white upvc windows grey, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we aim to answer this question once and for all.

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, you can definitely spray white upvc windows grey! In fact, you can spray white upvc windows with any colour of your choice. So far, the most used colour is the anthracite grey, but you’re not restricted to that. You can also make use of agate grey, French grey, window grey, battleship grey and lots more! However, it should be noted that spraying white upvc windows grey is in no way an easy task as it requires lots of experience and practice.

The spraying process usually starts with a thorough cleaning of all the surfaces to be sprayed using a specialist solvent upvc cleaner. Once done, you’ll have to get rid of any existing silicone from around the frames because the paint won’t adhere properly to silicone. Upon completion, you can then proceed to masking up the surrounding brick or stone, glass, openings into room, furniture, paths or plants and many more to protect them from potential paint overspray. Now to spray the paint, you can make use of a spray gun and spray painter. Before you start painting, you can apply a light dust or mist coat to identify any contamination left on the surfaces. Once this has dried without any negative reactions, you should spray two further coats (some colours may require up to 3). leave for up to 20 minutes to dry and remove all masking.

How To Paint Exterior Walls

Painting of exterior walls is a value adding task which can be done by any competent DIYer. So if you’re confident enough to pick up a brush and roller, then all you need to do is to follow the instruction in this step by step guide and you’d be glad you did. Painting your exterior walls yourself can save you lots of money that would rather have been spent on hiring the services of a professional painter and decorator. However, if you don’t feel confident enough to pull this off, then it’s advisable to call in a reliable painting specialist who can guarantee the best results for help. Here, we’ll take you through the needed steps to complete the painting of your exterior walls.

✓ Surface Preparation. This involves protecting all fencing and exterior wall component that’s not to be painted with a drop cloth or masking tape. You’ll also need to completely wipe out any dust before you start to paint a plaster surface. If it’s a previously painted wall, you’ll also need degrease it and remove or scrape off any loose areas of the plaster.

✓ Priming. This involves preparing the primer as instructed in the manufacturer’s guide. Then start to prime the surface by using a brush or a small paint roller to prime the corners, little items as well as all surfaces that are difficult to reach. Once done, then you can tackle the larger surfaces using a larger paint roller.

✓ Painting. To start painting your exterior walls, you’d have to prepare the product first by missing it thoroughly as instructed in the manual. Once done, you can repeat the same process as given in the priming stage above using your paint this time. Once done, you can decide to apply a second layer within a minimum of 4 hours after applying the first layer.

If you’re thinking about spraying your upvc, then one of the first things that naturally comes to mind is the price of completing such a task. If you’re also interested in determining the price, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re going to take a look at the total cost involved in UPVC spraying.

First and foremost, it must be stated that UPVC spraying is an industry that’s highly competitive. And as you would have guessed the prices are largely influenced the experience and reputation of the company you opt for. In other words, the new entrant companies are usually the cheapest but their works are not particularly the best. Therefore, for a high quality job, it’s always recommended to make use of a well established and highly reputable company in the industry.

If you’re going to hire a vastly experienced and reputable firm in the industry, then you should budget about circa £140 to £160 per window, circa £210 to £250 per door and frame, circa £260 to £300 for a large garage door and circa £600 to £800 for a three bed semi detached house.

These prices include materials, labour as well as other related costs. However, you should note that they’re only estimated prices and you’ll have to call in a professional in order to get a more accurate quote. If you’re looking to paint all the UPVC in your home, there are usually discounts that will be provided based on the work load. What’s more? If there’s a need for scaffolding, then there can be a bump up in the price.

If you’re planning to get a stair lift to be fitted in your home or property, one of the first things you’ll have to consider is whether your staircase is straight or curved as this would be the primary determinant of the stairlift type you’d go for. If you happen to have a curved staircase, you’d need to purchase a curved stairlift as only this can be fitted. Once you’ve identified the type of stair lift you need, then the next step is to determine the price to purchase and install such unit. In this post, we’re going to give you an idea of curved stairlift prices in order to help you make the best informed decisions possible. Let’s take a look!

Unfortunately, a quick and simple answer can’t be provided to this question as there are so many factors that influences the price of a curved stairlift. The bespoke nature of installing the necessary equipment is the main reason why the amount of new curved stairlifts greatly varies in the UK as well as the amount and complexity of the work required. For instance, if you purchase a curved stair lift with an intermediate landing, you’ll have to customize the track of the stair lift to fit your stairs which will make it a lot more expensive than ones without an intermediate landing.

With these in mind, providing an upfront and accurate estimate of a curved stairlift cost would be hard. As a result, this question can only be answered accurately taking into account all relevant factors by an expert after which they pay you a home visit. They’ll take into account whether  any existing fixtures and fitting will have to be removed or perhaps there’s a need for a custom feature to be installed and lots more.

How To Paint Exterior Window Sills And Frames?

Painting your exterior window sills and frames can be a very joyful and fun-filled activity if you know what you’re doing. It’s a task that can be completed in little time by an experienced DIYer, however if you do not have the confidence to pull off this project, then you’d be better off calling in a professional for help to avoid costly mistakes. In this guide, we’ll take you through the exterior window sills and frames painting process.

✓ Prepare the window sills and frames. This includes, brushing the surfaces with warm water and gentle soap, scrubbing the windows to ensure all the edges and cracks are free from all forms of dirt, rinsing it with water and use a soft, clean cloth to wipe off any excess liquid and finally, drying it off with a towel or leaving it to dry off by itself before you start to paint.

✓ Remove any signs of moulds and moss, fill in the cracks between frame and glass using a multi-purpose filler, sand the frame and wipe out any dirt or dust on or around it using a vacuum cleaner, a clean cloth or soft brush. Once done, you can then apply a coat of water-based primer and let it dry off before painting.

✓ Painting. Firstly, you’ll have to sand your primed windows to make an even, smooth surface and apply an undercoat evenly to the surface. Once completed, you can then apply at least 2 coats of paint using a quality brush. Make sure you sand the first layer carefully before you apply the second to get a great finish.

✓ Once dried, you can the finish with a top coat (make sure you go for a weather proof paint for the exterior). For the window sills, you’ll have to apply the exterior paint gently with masking tape around the edges to protect the walls from the dripping paint.