Painting and papering is the most common decorating job in the home. Before you start any work move everything to the centre of the room and cover with dust sheets. Better still, if you have a spare room move all your furniture and ornaments into it. This will make papering a lot easier as you need a fair sized space to plonk the preparation tables down.
Previously painted walls can be repainted without too much effort. If the walls are in good condition - i.e. no large cracks or crumbling - then simply give the walls a once over with some fine sandpaper so that the new paint has a better surface to grip onto. Gloss walls are slippery for new paint to attach itself to so wash the walls with a sugar soap solution in hot water to remove the shine.
If you have existing wallpaper and plan on just painting the walls, the old paper can remain where it is as long as it's in tact. You may need to apply a couple of coats to completely hide strong patterns. Hot, soapy water and a scraper coupled with lots of elbow grease will see off most existing wallpaper; however, for large rooms, using a steam stripper will be your best option.
Give the walls a once over checking for cracks and unevenness when paper and paint has been removed. Any large cracks should be filled in with filler. Sand down smooth when set and begin work.
Stubborn gloss paintwork on the doors and skirting boards is best removed with a blow torch and scraper. Removing socket covers and covering lighting fixtures with plastic bags is also a good tip.
The best tip for painting your walls is to use a medium-sized brush for corners and edges, then fill in with a roller to save time. When papering, if your walls are obviously uneven use a lining paper or a textured paper to help disguise any faults. If you're a novice, using a heavy, plain paper will make things a lot easier.
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