The decorating notebook
What wall preparation involves
Preparation is a sequence of decisions about the existing surface. It should be visible in the scope of work.
Understand the existing finish
Identify loose coatings, wallpaper, paste residue, staining and damaged plaster. Their treatment can differ. New paint cannot conceal every defect or resolve the source of moisture. Any underlying repairs need to be addressed before a final decorating specification is agreed.
Separate local and extensive repairs
Small filling work is different from repairing loose plaster or levelling a whole wall. A test area may help establish what is needed. Ask how defects revealed during stripping will be assessed, recorded and agreed before additional work proceeds.
Choose the next finish deliberately
The background needs to suit the proposed paint or paper. Check product instructions for preparation, priming and drying. In an older property, assess historic coatings and fragile fabric before disturbance. The result should be an agreed preparation scope, not a promise that every surface can be treated identically.
Start with a conversation
Tell us about your property.
Share the address, the rooms or surfaces, and what you have in mind.