How to win at decorating your home

Helen Murray and Michael Rolland, branch manager and managing director of The Paint Shed Greenock.

The arrival of spring means the evenings are drawing out, and warmer weather is just around the corner.

And with a clutch of Bank Holidays on the way, it’s a tempting time to get some things ticked off your ‘to do’ list around the house.

However, the sad truth is DIY is not everyone’s forte. And what starts as a well-meant home improvement project can sometimes disintegrate into complete mess.

Using trade paint is a must. Its what professional decorators use and is made to a different formation than your usual DIY paint that you find in the big sheds.

In a survey carried out last year, one in ten homeowners admitted to botching a home improvement project. Worse than that, the Co-Op Insurance survey found it cost £2271 on average to rectify our big DIY disasters.

So how can you avoid those costly DIY slip ups?

Trading up for better quality

Make sure you pick the best product for the job. There are lots of different paints to choose from, so do your homework and pick the right one for your project.

There are now apps available to download which help you match up your furnishings to shades and colour schemes

Off the shelf paints come in many varieties and many traditional finishes like a matt finish for example now have premium alternatives like Dulux’s Diamond matt which will last longer and is cleanable, so take time to consider whether you want a satin finish, gloss, eggshell... or something else.

Using trade paint is a must. It’s what professional decorators use and is made to a different formation than your usual DIY paint that you find in the big sheds. It usually goes further, needs fewer coats and gives a higher quality finish.

Colour matching

Of course, choosing the right colour is another conundrum – get it wrong and you could be left regretting ever picking up the paint brush.

Getting the precise colour you want for your walls can be made simpler, thanks in part to new technology. There are now apps available to download which help you match up your furnishings to shades and colour schemes, so you don’t have to go through the torture of repainting your whole room.

Avoiding mishaps

You may well want to bash on with your job but taking a few sensible precautions could save you from injury and ensure the job actually gets done. For instance, does your ladder have rubber soles to stop it slipping while you’re painting the outside of your house? Of course, you don’t want to get paint on that new carpet either. Do you have dust sheets down?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

According to Michael Rolland, Managing Director of The Paint Shed, getting good advice at the start is key to any successful project.

"It's easy to become overwhelmed when you're looking to decorate,” he says. “You try to rush it, don't use the right products and before you know it, you've ruined your wall and are worse off than when you started.

“Don’t be afraid to seek out advice and support from the experts. Our specialists have the knowledge and stock to ensure you can do a top-notch job.”

“We would always recommend a good quality decorator to guarantee a happy outcome but our teams would be happy to guide anyone in helping to select the right paint for the job.”

Whether you’re a homeowner or a tradesperson, The Paint Shed has three Edinburgh branches and 11 nationwide, which offer an extensive range of trade, designer and retail paints and equipment to do a good job the first time around. Their friendly staff are on hand to give you expert advice to make the job simpler.

To buy online or to find your nearest store, visit www.thepaintshed.com