How to
Redecorate your home
Materials
• Surface filler
• Undercoat
• Mineral turpentine (cleaning up enamel paint)
• Sandpaper
• Paint
• Sugar Soap
Tools
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Scrapers (preferably a selection of broad, narrow and angled)
Paint Brushes or rollers, including accessories such as paint trays
Wallpaper steamer and perforator (If applicable)
Step Ladder, extension ladder or trestles, aluminium scaffold and planks
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Belt sander, disc sander, orbital sander, palm orbital sander, triangular sander
Electric paint stripper, electric paint remover, concrete renovator, paint sprayer, drop sheets
Bucket, sponges and rags
Removing Wallpaper and Paint
The key to a successful paint job is through surface preparation. If time is limited, rather than rushing the
preparation and ruining the final appearance of your new paintwork, use the right equipment to carry out the work
much faster.
Prior to painting you will need to remove any
existing wallpaper, preferably by steaming it
off with a wallpaper steamer. This machine
minimises any damage to the surface
underneath that might be caused by attempting
to scrape off or peel away the paper. Even with
a steamer, wallpaper removal can be a relatively
slow process. Remove any wallpaper paste
residue with sugar soap.
If the wallpaper has impervious vinyl coating or
has been painted, use a perforator roller to form
pinholes in the surface through which steam can
effectively penetrate.
On painted surfaces, check for any peeling
or defective paintwork. If you suspect that the
paint isn’t adequately bonded to the surface
underneath, scratch an “X” in the paintwork and
apply a fresh piece of sticky-tape over the mark.
Pull the tape up quickly- if the paint comes away
with the tape, the area should be stripped back
to a stable underlying paint or the substrate
(bare material).
With the right tools and
a little effort, you can
redecorate your home
yourself, saving money
and ensuring you get
the look you want.
surfaces such as timber, the Metabo Electric
Paint Remover is extremely efficient in removing
multiple layers of paint, and the Festo Electric
Concrete Renovator will quickly remove paint
from concrete and cement render.
If you suspect that the paintwork is lead-based
(i.e. before about 1980) or the substrate has
asbestos (ie. before the mid 1970’s), contact
your local paint outlet for specific advise before
removing any more paintwork.
Where it is not necessary to remove all
paintwork, sand the edges of any bare patches
to a featheredge, i.e. remove any ridge at the
edge of the paint layer. Run your fingers over the
area- if you can still feel a ridge, it will be visible
when the final paint coats are applied.
For most surfaces, sanding is an effective
form of paint removal. Belt sanders remove
a lot of material quickly- orbital sanders are
less aggressive and leave a smoother surface.
Oscillating triangular sanders are ideal for tight
corners and hard-to-get-at-areas, and electric
paint strippers work well on awkward areas such
as window frames and decorative ironwork. On
Practical advice from the professionals at Kennards.
Restoring the surface
Fill any defects in the surface with an
appropriate filler (plaster-based for plasterboard
and masonry, woodfiller for timber and metafiller
for steel). Slightly overfill the hole and sand back
level when the filler has fully cured (overnight or
longer for most fillers).
Wash thoroughly with sugar soap solution to
remove dust or residue wallpaper glue. When
the surface to be painted is smooth and level,
apply a primer, undercoat and two colour coats.
The primer provides a good base for subsequent
coats and the undercoat covers up the colour
of the underlying paint or substrate so that it
doesn’t affect the final colour of the paint work.
Two colour coats are usually applied so that any
thin patches in the first coat are eliminated with
the second coat. With strong colours, it may
be necessary to apply a third coat for a truly
even appearance.
Chalky substrates should be coated with a
sealer before the primer is applied. On surfaces
in good condition a primer/undercoat which
combines both functions in the one coat may be
used. Most decorative house paints are enamel
or acrylic. Modern acrylic paints are suitable for
most applications including bathrooms, kitchens
and external surfaces, though they should be
kept reasonably dry up to a week to fully cure.
They clean up in water, have little smell and can
be re-coated in a matter of hours.
Enamels usually flow on better, providing a
better finish with gloss paints, and they are
more resistant to hard knocks, making them well
suited to items such as skirting boards, doors
and door frames. They clean up with mineral
turps and typically have to be left overnight
between coats.
Most paints out gas (i.e. emit fumes) after
application so bedrooms should not be slept
in for a day or two after painting. If you are
sensitive to paint fumes, either allow the room
several days or more to air or use one of the
low-odour paints now available.
Hire tools that make your job easy
Using the right equipment will not only make your painting job easier, it will make it much faster, giving you more
time for the other things you want to do.
Wallpaper steamer and perforator
A wallpaper steamer from Kennards Hire is
simple and easy to use. Fill it with water and wait
15-20 minutes for the water to boil. Apply the
steam plate to each section of wallpaper in turn
and allow it to steam the covering free. Every
hour or so it will be necessary to re-fill the unit
and re-boil the water, but these breaks are a
good time to have a cuppa. A perforator is also
available for hire.
Ladders and trestles
Avoid injury by using the appropriate access
equipment to reach ceilings, eaves and the
upper areas on high walls. Kennards hire has
a large range of stepladders, extension ladders
and trestles in a variety of heights.
Paint sprayers
For large areas Kennards Hire have two airless
paint sprayers to choose from, a 3,600psi model
and a smaller 2,700-psi model. For difficult
surfaces such as fences, ironwork and cane
furniture, a HVLP spray unit with minimum
overspray is fast and easy to use.
Electric paint stripper
Vacuum cleaner
Most domestic vacuum cleaners are designed
to collect dust, not paint chips. Avoid ruining
your cleaner by hiring an industrial quality
vacuum cleaner from Kennards Hire. When dry
vacuuming (the unit is also available for wet
use), the cleaner can be fitted with a paper and
cloth filter for best results.
Sanders
For removing paint from different surfaces,
Kennards Hire has heavy-duty belt sanders,
disc sanders, orbital sanders, palm sanders,
Fein oscillating triangular sanders, Metabo
electric paint removers and Festo concrete
renovators. Discuss your needs with the friendly
staff at Kennards Hire to determine the right
equipment for your project.
Drop sheets & safety gear
To prevent unwanted paint spills on finished
floors, carpets or furniture that can’t be removed,
Kennards Hire have inexpensive disposable
plastic drop sheets for sale. They also have
safety gear such as dust masks, goggles and
ear plugs.
The heavy-duty electric paint stripper from
Kennards Hire removes paint quickly without
the hazard of a naked flame from a gas
paint stripper.
This information is provided as a guide only. Kennards Hire accepts no liability for any
aspect of the work, other than the performance of its hire equipment as stated in the
conditions for hire.