Why is decorating the most popular home improvement project

There are many reasons why interior painting and decorating is the nations most popular home improvement project.  Decorating can quickly and dramatically turn the appearance of a room, an apartment or an entire home.  It is personally rewarding and can be fun.  It’s one of the least costly home improvement projects too!   From decorating the kitchen, to putting new paint on the kids bedroom walls, there is a great sense of achievement in doing a spot of DIY.  It’s no wonder that people in the UK spend over £13 billion a year to improve their home.  With the economic climate as it is now, more consumers are preferring to improve rather than move. 

Choosing a good Painter and Decorator

For those of you that would rather get the professionals in remember that cheapest is not always best in the long run, as many people have found to their cost.  It pays to shop around to find a reputable firm who will give you an agreed price for the work to be done.

Customers should always ask:

• Is the quality of the materials guaranteed?
• Will the work be done by competent tradesmen
• Can I be sure the quotation is fair to all parties to ensure a good, lasting job?
• Will the Decorator give a guarantee on his work?

It’s easy to be taken for a ride by the cowboys – it pays to choose a qualified professional.  Why not have a look at our painters and decorators on our website and find out who is in your area?

Having a go yourself - A Guide to hanging wallpaper

Depending on the size of job, it can pay to get a professional in, but as that can cost quite a lot of money, some of us try to do it ourselves.  Follow out step by step advice to hanging wallpaper……

• When you buy a wall paper ensure that each roll is exactly the same as the rest including batch number and shade number. Also it is better to buy one roll too many (for spare) than end up with not enough to finish the project.  Wall coverings come in a variety of types including self-pasting, washable and peelable.
• First you need to decide the best place to start hanging the wallpaper, patterned wallpaper is best hung starting at a window and working your way around the room away from the window.
• Take the first length of paper and hold it on the wall.  Leave an overlap at the top and the bottom for trimming. 
• When your paste is ready position the length of wallpaper face down on your pasting table, take your pasting brush and apply the paste to the wallpaper, starting at the bottom, work the paste evenly over the paper working from the middle to the edges, gently fold the bottom over into a concertina (ensuring not to crease) this will make the paper easier to work with.  If you are using a pre-pasted wall covering then follow the manufacturer's instructions for preparation.
• Allow the paper to soak for as long as instructed (see label) before hanging.
• Using your hanging brush, smooth down the centre of the paper to push out the air.  By working in one direction you will avoid the possibility of pushing an air bubble one way and then the next.  You will however have to go upwards towards the ceiling, trimming spare wallpaper.  Use the same technique for the bottom of the wallpaper.
• When trimming wallpaper, use the back edge of the scissors to score a light line along the ceiling or the skirting angle.  Brush the paper back down against the wall, once again expelling any air bubbles.  Fold and trim the corners as you did with the top and bottom of the wallpaper.
• Once the first length of wallpaper is up, hold the roll of wallpaper up against it and allow for any print matching before you cut the length.
• Once you are satisfied with the length of the sheet, cut the wallpaper accordingly and repeat the above steps until you have finished.

Maximise your budget – helpful advice to make your money go further

What’s the dirtiest word when it comes to decorating or any home improvement project – budget – that’s right and here at Decision2Day, we hope we can offer a few helpful tips on how to make your money go further.  Saving money on your decorating budget isn’t about being cheap, its about being smart…..here are a few……

• Make a wish list – Initially let your imagination run free, pretend that money is not a problem.  Write everything down you would like to do or buy.  Think about its surroundings.  For example, you may want to paint your living room, but what will your carpet look like when all your walls have been painted?  Will that mean a new carpet?
• Determine your actual budget – be realistic here.  Look at your in’s and out’s and see how much you can realistically afford to do your spot of DIY.  If the money isn’t there, its best to wait a while, rather that max out that credit card.   You want to enjoy what you are doing and not regret how much it cost.
• Familiarise yourself with price tags – have a look around and see how much things really cost.  It may be a few years ago since you last decorated. 
• Draft a decorating plan – look at what you want to accomplish with your decorating project.
• Invest in the more important rooms – think about what will add value to your home. 
• Save money on the cosmetic items – don’t go throwing money at the extras.  Wait until you can see how far your money will go – spend the budget on the main items, the rest will wait until later.
• Remember about common budget busters – if you have allocated say £5000.00 for a new bathroom, try and spend £4500.00 – that way you will have some money left to pay the electrician to put the light up or the tiler to put the tiles on because it wasn’t quite as simple as we thought it would be.
• Impulse buys – It’s easy to impulse buy, but be careful, stick to the budget.
• Phase it all in – unless there is a real urgency to finish your home improvement project, then why not phase the work in?  Work out what you can do and what you can’t – work out when you need the professionals in and when you don’t. 

These are only a few tips that Decision2Day offer – of course each home improvement project is different and only you know how to look after and get the best from your money, but they are worth bearing in mind – good luck!

Code of Professional standards – PDA registered plumbers

The Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) was established in 2002, following a merger of the British Decorators’ Association and the Painting & Decorating Federation. The British Decorators’ Association was originally founded in 1894.

PDA members abide by a Code of Practice designed to set out parameters of best practice and fair trading for both tradesman and clients.  The Code covers a broad area, including guarantees, quotations and health and safety.

To view the Code of Practice in full, please click on the link here

www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk/codeofpracticepop.asp