Tips for paint, moulding and wallpaper

Good quality paint is sold in 3.7-litre cans. For a large project, you may need more than one, and even the best mixing systems can produce subtle differences in colour. "Boxing" the paint will ensure completely uniform colour: pour the contents of several cans into a clean pail and mix well, then pour back into the cans. If you are planning two coats, mix only half the paint to start with, then mix the remainder before starting the second coat.

To wallpaper a large surface, measure the wall and mark with a pencil where the paper will be placed; make sure the marks won't be covered by the strips. Now arrange the wallpaper strips on the floor in the order they will be hung, to make sure that the pattern lines up. Tape them together with masking tape and cut the ends approximately 4" longer than the height of the wall. This allows enough extra length to adjust the paper on the wall as needed. The excess can be trimmed once the paper is in place.

To wallpaper a large surface, measure the wall and mark with a pencil where the paper will be placed; make sure the marks won't be covered by the strips. Now arrange the wallpaper strips on the floor in the order they will be hung, to make sure that the pattern lines up. Tape them together with masking tape and cut the ends approximately 4" longer than the height of the wall. This allows enough extra length to adjust the paper on the wall as needed. The excess can be trimmed once the paper is in place.

Even the smallest drywall jobs generate dust. So put away the sandpaper and try a dust-free method. Fill the holes with drywall compound and scrape off the excess. Once the compound is dry use a moist sponge to smooth and feather the edges.

Tinting primer with the colour of the finishing coat will help hide imperfections on the prepped surface and save on paint. This is especially true when painting a lighter colour over a darker one. The primer doesn’t have to be the exact colour of the topcoat but close enough so that a conflicting colour doesn’t have to be hidden with several coats. In other words, tinting the primer saves both time and money!

Pre-pasted wallpapers save time and mess, especially when decorating a large room. Activate the adhesive by soaking the paper in lukewarm water for about 10 seconds in a wallpaper tray. Before hanging, press together the two wet, adhesive sides of the wallpaper strips. This will spread the adhesive evenly across the back of the wallpaper. Now gently pull apart and leave to cure for 5-10 minutes to allow the paper to fully expand before hanging.

Large mouldings are magnificent but they can be expensive, even those made from MDF. Rather than rip out your old mouldings and replace them with bigger ones, add smaller pieces of trim to the front of or above existing mouldings, in a layering effect. This will give the impression of one piece of wide moulding. This technique works well with baseboards and crown moulding. Another trick is to install a smaller strip of moulding a few inches above an existing one and paint the wall in between the same colour as the mouldings themselves. This create the look of expensive baseboard or casing.

One of the best ways to enhance the style of a room is to add crown moulding. However, cutting the angles accurately can be tricky, and you don't want to make mistakes with this expensive material. Most home improvement stores sell pre-made inside and outside corners, which make the job a whole lot easier. All you have to do is measure, cut at a 90° angle, and nail in place.

Even the most elegant moulding can look amateurish if installed incorrectly. The most important and visible seam is where the moulding meets the wall; this edge needs to be tightly fastened. With baseboards, nail the top edge first so that it fits snugly against the wall. A nail gun makes the job much easier and guarantees a tight fit. The nail holes are so small they can be concealed with a dot of paint. If nailing by hand, countersink the nails and fill the holes.

Removing wallpaper can be a frustrating job. The key to easy removal is to loosen the adhesive with water, but this can be difficult if the wallpaper is vinyl based. Home improvement stores sell scoring tools that will penetrate vinyl wallpaper and let the water through to breakdown the adhesive behind.