Repainting our games room

If you've just moved into a new property and find that it needs to be renovated or redecorated, then you may want to hire the help of a professional residential painter. If you do your research and choose a credible tradesman you should be able to relax knowing that the standard of workmanship will be high. However if you are keen to save time and money there are a few things you can do to help speed up the process of decorating prior to your hired help arriving. This simple guide will give you a few handy tips for preparing the surfaces in your home and the rooms ready for the big makeover. 

Cleaning the Walls

If you've got a wall that has recently been striped of wallpaper, or is dirty due to age or nicotine tar then you'll need to clean it prior to painting. Grease and dirt can stop subsequent layers of paint adhering properly, which will increase the chance of flaking once it has dried. To clean the wall you should use a pink concentrated liquid known as sugar soap. This should be mixed with warm warm following the instructions on the bottle and rubbed on to the wall with a sponge. It will help to lift grease and stains, and because it's mildly abrasive will give your base coat of paint a greater surface area to stick to. As with any chemical cleaning agent you should wear old clothes, eye protection and rubber gloves and sugar soap may cause skin irritation and lead to rashes. 

Protect the Floor and Furniture

Another timesaving tip is to buy large rolls of thick industrial paper. Unlike fabric sheets this thick paper can be cut to size and taped down to protect the floor, whilst letting less moisture through. This can be an issue when painting, as fabric sheets absorb the paint, which often causes staining on the floor beneath. Paper on the other hand doesn't absorb the paint as quickly, keeping it on the surface and causing it to dry out. This works well for wooden flooring, however for carpets try to use tarpaulin or thick plastic sheets. They'll be fiddlier to keep in place, but are completely waterproof and are useful for collecting dust that can be thrown out in one go.

Sockets

If you're confident enough to gently remove plug sockets safely then try to do so. Unscrewing the plastic or metal covers slightly will enable the painter to paint around the socket without getting residue on it. Using masking tape is fine, but if you have good quality gold fixtures the glue on the tape can cause stains to occur, so try to reduce the tackiness of the tape by sticking it to your clothes a few times. It was make it less sticky and keep your socket covers clean.