6 Most Commonly Asked Questions about DIY Decorating Answered | Decorating Centre Online

6 Commonly Asked Questions about DIY Decorating Answered

How do I paint tiles? 

@83rennovation | Colour Match Paint | Decorating Centre Online

Using a mohair or 100% wool 4” roller and if necessary, a brush to cut-in the trickier areas apply at least 2 coats of AllCoat to the tiles. 

Top Tips: 

1. As both Bulls Eye 123 and AllCoat are water-based, the brushes and rollers used can easily be cleaned with warm water (no white spirit/turpentine required). 

2. If you are painting your tiles in darker shades, BullsEye 123 Primer can be tinted to make it easier to achieve the final colour. 

3. BullsEye 123 & AllCoat are typically re-coatable in 1 hour. 

4. Although AllCoat will provide a durable, longlasting finish, it will require a full 7 days to cure and harden, so take care for the first week or so. 

Related products: 

• Zinsser Degreaser & Cleaner
• Zinsser Bulls Eye 123
• Zinsser AllCoat
• Paintbrush
• Mohair or 100% wool mini-roller
• Dust sheet

Can I paint stair treads? 

 @mrs_macs_home | Blackfriar Polyurethane Floor Paint | Decorating Centre Online

Yes! For your stair treads, the best paint to use is a specialist floor paint to ensure that the paint will be durable given the traffic and footfall that your stairs endure.

Step 1: Ensure the steps stairs are fully prepped

Before you start painting, make sure that everything is fixed and you have a smooth and dust free surface to work with. This means any holes or cracks need to be filled, nails removed and flaking or cracked paint sanded back. If you are only painting part of the staircase, mask any areas that need to be protected.

Step 2: Paint the Stairs 

Use a paint brush for cutting-in, and then a 4” roller to paint the rest of the stairs for the smoothest-looking finish. Leave to dry for the recommended drying time. 

Drying Time: 4-6hrs at 20°C. Allow to dry for a minimum of 16hrs at 20°C between coats. Allow to dry for a minimum of 48hrs at 20°C before subjecting to heavy traffic.  

Step 3: Apply a Second Coat  

Apply a second coat and then allow to dry before use. Full cure of the BlackFrairs polyutherane floor paint is approx. 5-7 days at 20c, other products may vary.

Step 4: Leave to Cure

Full cure is achieved in 5-7 days at 20°C. 

Related products:

• Blackfriar Professional Polyurethane Floor Paint (or another suitable floor paint)
• Paintbrush
• Roller
• Sandpaper
• Filler

How do I paint Ikea furniture? 

 @ihatewallplugs | Colour Match Paint | Decorating Centre Online

Ikea furniture is usually made from MDF which is covered with laminate or veneer. This glossy surface can make it quite difficult for normal furniture paints to adhere to the surface which means that they’re likely to chip and peel off. 

However, Ikea furniture can successfully be painted using a few simple steps and the right products! 

Step 1: Prep the area 

Make sure that you have laid down a dust sheet on the floor around where you’re going to paint your Ikea furniture in case of any accidental spillages .  

Where possible, remove hardware such as door knobs from the furniture you’re wanting to paint. Alternatively, carefully mask off the areas that are not to be painted.

Step 2: Apply the primer 

Using a paint brush, apply the BIN primer all over the surface where you intend to paint. BIN primer will act as a friction primer helping the topcoat properly adhere to the surface. 

Step 3: Apply the Allcoat 

Use a brush to cut-in the areas that are tricky and a mohair or 100% wool roller for the larger areas of the furniture for the smoothest finish, apply at least two coats of AllCoat to your Ikea furniture, leaving at least 1 hour between coats

Top Tips: 

1. As BIN is shellac-based, you can either use a cheaper brush for this part, or you can use the BIN Cleaner & Restorer afterward to clean your brush off. 

2. BIN dries in 15 minutes and is re-coatable in 45minutes. Two coats will give the best finish. 

3. AllCoat needs a full 7 days to cure and fully harden, so take it easy with your newly painted furniture for at least a week! 

Related Products:

• Zinsser BIN primer
• BIN Cleaner & Restorer
• Zinsser AllCoat
• Paintbrush
• Mohair or 100% wool mini roller
• Dust sheet

What is the difference between trade and retail paint?

Tester Pot | Decorating Centre Online

Not all paints are born equal and picking the right paint can be a minefield due to the variety of options available. One of the biggest distinctions to make is the difference between retail and trade paints. 

Typically retail paints will be at a lower price point so initially look like great value, however the budget price results in a budget product and often you will find that a retail paints: 

• have a thinner consistency 
• require more coats 
• provide less coverage per litre 
• limited colour ranges 
• will take longer to apply 

Trade products can typically be identified by the tin livery, the brand will often be suffixed with ‘trade’, e.g. Leyland Trade, Johnstones Trade.

Why is my woodwork going yellow? 

White oil-based paint discolouring, even as quickly as a couple of weeks after the application has been an issue since 2010 when EU legislation limited the amount of VoC (volatile organic compounds) that paint could legally contain. 

The required formula adjustments to oil-based paint had several effects on the performance of the paint, including discolouration, or yellowing of the paint. 

Whilst there are some factors that accelerate discolouration and yellowing, in our experience, there is really nothing that can stop it occurring overtime. Our recommended solution is to switch to water-based alternatives.

The water-based products have developed significantly since 2010 and there are some excellent choices which will still be hardwearing and chip-resistant, but without the yellowing, longer drying time and odour! 

Related products:

• Johnstone's Trade Aqua Satin / Gloss / Undercoat
• Johnstone's Trade Aqua Guard
• Leyland Trade Fast Drying Satin / Gloss / Undercoat

Paste the wall vs. paste the wallpaper 

Duo Wave DCO Exclusive Wallpaper Grey | Decorating Centre Online

Whilst it may sound obvious from the name ‘paste the wallpaper’ this is such a common question as it goes against the norm of traditional wallpaper hanging techniques.

Paste the Wall wallpapers are manufactured on what is known as ‘non-woven’ wallpaper which doesn’t require the soaking time that ‘paste the wallpaper’ designs need.

This means you can literally apply your paste straight to the wall and bring your wallpaper up to the wall and hang it.  

How can you tell that it’s a paste the wall wallpaper?

The easiest way to check is to look out of this symbol on the label.

If you’re looking at just a sample of the wallpaper and don’t have the label details a sneaky sign is the colour of the backing of the wallpaper.

If it appears a brighter white then its paste the wall, if it’s a more yellowed tone then it’s a paste the wallpaper. 

Common misconceptions

You require a specialist paste to hang it, this isn’t the case unless it’s a heavyweight vinyl where you would benefit from a ready mixed paste.

People also ask if you should paste the wallpaper and the wall; not necessary, you only need to paste the wall however you may benefit from applying some extra paste to the edges of the wallpaper.  

For more information on wallpapers and how to demystify the symbols, you are greeted with on the labels then see this useful blog post. ‘Wallpaper Symbols Explained’. 

@home.style.number.50 | Amur Leopard Wallpaper Cream | Decorating Centre Online

Please don’t hesitate to pop us a DM on our Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest pages, you can Live Chat us on our Website too or even email on sales@decoratingcentreonline.co.uk or just give us a ring on 01388 655844 for some advice on what colours we can match and whether we can match the colour you’ve chosen.

There’s no question too big or too small and we’d love to hear from you.

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