Home Preparing a room for redecorating

Redecorating your home can be a great way to add freshness and vibrancy to a tired room, however before redecorating you will need to remove any old paint or wallpaper remnants to provide a blank canvas to work with. This DIY guide is focused around providing useful tips for preparing a room in preparation for redecorating and the essential hire tools required for this process.

Click on the video below to see the Wallpaper Stripper in action.

Removing Old Paint

Step 1

Paint stripping is a slow and messy activity, but with the correct equipment this becomes a great deal easier. Before starting ensure that all furniture, pictures and personal items are well covered or removed entirely from the room. The heat generated from the paint stripper can damage any nearby items. Use a metal tray for resting the hot paint stripper on whilst not in use, which will prevent any scorching.

Step 2

Ensure you are adequately protected from the paint fumes and paint stripping tool. Keep your work area well ventilated and ensure that sensible work clothing is worn at all times to reduce the risk of burns.

Step 3

Work on small areas of paint at any one time, moving the stripper steadily over the surface of the paint around 4-6 inches away from the surface. Keep the nozzle moving at all times to prevent burning the paint, working over the required area until the paint starts to bubble and soften. At this stage the paint can be easily scraped away.

Step 4

On doors and other wooden furniture, you can run over the stripped area with a sander to create a smooth and even finish perfect for repainting. Before applying the new paint, wipe over the area with a little white spirit.

Stripping away old Wallpaper

Step 1

Stripping away tired old wallpaper can be made a great deal easier with a wallpaper stripper. The steam generated from the machine helps to melt the paste and soften the paper for easier removal.

Step 2

Ensure you have adequate ventilation in the room and personal protection equipment, such as work overalls and gloves.

Step 3

Uncoil the steam supply hose and hold the stripper plate attachment directly against the wallpaper. Apply light pressure against the wall surface allowing the steam to soak into the paper.

Step 4

As the wallpaper paste begins to soften, the paper can be easily removed with a scraper. For more stubborn wallpaper types (woodchip being an example), be sure to repeat this process a few times until the adhesive begins to loosen.

Top Tips

When trying to strip vinyl or painted paper, run over the area with a wallpaper perforator first. The holes generated by the tool allow the steam to penetrate more easily and reach the adhesive.

Preparing Walls

If you have now removed old paper or paint, give the wall itself some attention to smooth out any damaged areas and prepare the area properly for the redecoration. First, wipe down the walls and ensure all residue and dust has been removed. Smooth down and flatten any protruding areas with a drywall sanding kit and smaller handheld sander. Fill in any cracks in the wall with polyfiller (or equivalent) and once dry smooth over with sanding paper.

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