HANDYMAN

Press, 18 October 1978, Page 9

HANDYMAN

If you do not possess dust sheets old newspapers will protect the floor from splashes. To prevent re-arranging them as they get scattered by a gust of wind through an open window or even by walking around the room it is worth while buying a roll of adhesive tape and sticking the papers together and to the tloor. « ig

Tie a piece of string across the bucket you use to mix your wallpaper paste. You will then have something to rest your brush on and using it gently you can remove any excess paste on the brush. * e- «

A piece of old metal sheet can be used as a shield when using a blow lamp on window frames to prevent the glass cracking. Stuff a piece of old rag in the top of downpipes when cleaning in preparation for painting. It will prevent dust and rust from falling down the pipes and perhaps clogging them up. iji V 'i’

Where two colours of paint meet apply the lighter colour first without bothering too much about the line and go beyond it. Then you need only do the cutting-in with the one colour. With picture rails, skirting boards and door and window frames paint them oefore wall-papering. Then there will be no need for cutting-in.

A large area of gloss painted surface that is to be repainted needs to be cleaned, rubbed down with sandpaper, then dusted off carefully. An abrasive cleaner bought from your decorator will clean and matt the surfce in one go. The cleaner is a soft paste that contains an abrasive powder and it is applies with a damp cloth or sponge. sis § sis

Use a soft brush and/or a vacuum cleaner to rub down wall-paper to get rid of loose dirt. Treat grease marks with a piece of bread or a proprietary Cleaner. Non-greasy marks can be removed with a pencil cleaner. You may find that your wallpaper looks so fresh that there

is no need to redecorate the room. •is >i« Fresh air is the quickest of all drying agents. Keep your windows open after preparing the room for decorating. «S SjS With thixotropic, or jellied, paints it is often difficult to hold small amounts on the brush for painting narrow strips such as glazing bars on windows. In spite of the instruction on the tin, it is possible to Whip up a little of the paint, on the tin lid, until it liquifies. The paint then can be applied as any ordinary gloss paint, but do not adopt this method on any other than narrow strips. sj: sS You may think you can save time by leaving door furniture — handles, catches, letter boxes — in place and painting round them. Not so. It has been proved that it takes longer

on the carpet hard against the skirting board. The brush will depress the glass-paper, which will not then move, allowing the brush to lay paint as far down as required without getting paint on the carpet. # # # The best method of sealing hairline cracks in plaster is to paint on a weak paste of cellulose filler. A Ain brush will force the paste into the crack. A final wipe with a damp sponge when the filler is almost dry will make a perfect finish. Ss # s» Use sealing compound sold for the underside of cars on the inside of castiron guttering —- only one coat will be needed instead of the usual three or four of other material. Apply with an old paint brush. # * sis Prime bare surfaces before making good holes with stopping. The stop-