Preparing your home before redecorating

Over 90% of people take part in spring-cleaning. However, after the New Year, the time is excellent for touching up your home. Prices are lower, help is readily available, and you might have time booked off work. But preparing your home before decorating is an often overlooked step in the process. Yet it’s necessary to avoid disappointment later on.

Clear the Area

You can’t work in a cramped area, and this is especially true when decorating. You will undoubtedly make mistakes and run into problems when things get in the way. Therefore, you need to completely clear the work area. For instance, if you are decorating a living room, you can decide what to move, disassemble or throw away. You can take the opportunity to clear out stuff you longer want, and bin truck hire will help when getting rid of bulky or numerous items. Then, when a room is cleared and property is gone, you can concentrate 100% on what needs to be done.

Remove Expensive Stuff

Further to clearing an area or room, it’s also a good idea to ensure you safely remove expensive goods. Large screen TVs, family heirlooms, and wall art are prime examples. Store these in an unaffected part of the house or a hired storage unit until you can safely place them back in your home. If you don’t remove expensive items, you may find them dotted with paint or damaged beyond repair. If you cannot remove an item of value altogether, purchase the best quality plastic covers you can afford to protect your goods while you paint or use paste.

Cover Surfaces

When you redecorate, it’s often impossible to remove certain things. For example, you cannot remove kitchen units when considering a kitchen makeover. And although kitchen units are robust and versatile, they aren’t impervious to the horrors of dried paint. Likewise, paint, wallpaper paste, and tile grout can be a nightmare to remove once dried, and your shiny kitchen tops could be ruined. As with expensive items, cover all surfaces extensively to avoid damaging anything that will cost a lot of money to replace or repair.

Tape Off Walls and Ceilings

Securing goods against paint and other damaging materials is always essential, but it’s only part of the entire process. Once items are removed, secured, and protected, you can concentrate on securing walls, floors, and ceilings. Especially when painting, you must cover areas you don’t want to be affected. For example, tape your ceilings when painting the walls. This will prevent exposure of specific areas to paint. In addition, planning and taping allow for clean cutting-in when applying colors. You can do the same for door frames and other extra parts.

Wear Protective Gear

Of course, you also need to protect yourself when decorating. Paints and solvents often fume toxic chemicals that are dangerous to breathe in. Therefore, you should always open as many windows as possible for proper ventilation. Ventilation will significantly reduce the effects of fumes, allowing you to work relatively safely. In addition, you can wear a face mask to help with breathing and protecting your eyes. Finally, of course, you shouldn’t wear your best clothes. But like your goods, you can also protect your clothing with coveralls available from DIY stores.

Photo by Skitterphoto