Preparation
How to Prepare Walls for Painting
Work out what is on the wall, clean it properly, repair defects and prime only where the surface needs it.
Read the wall-preparation guide →Resources & guides
Practical decorating guidance for real surfaces.
Useful advice on preparing, painting and papering homes across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. These guides explain what usually matters, where DIY is reasonable and when a difficult surface is better assessed before work begins.
Start here
Guides for the jobs people actually face.
Good decoration is usually decided by the condition underneath it. Choose a guide below for practical preparation, technique and troubleshooting.
Wallpaper
How to Remove Wallpaper and Prepare the Wall for Paint
Remove paper and paste carefully without turning a stripping job into unnecessary damage to the wall beneath.
Read the wallpaper-removal guide →Wallpaper
How to Hang Wallpaper Without Visible Seams
Check the rolls, set out from a true vertical and hang each drop without stretching the paper or forcing the seams.
Read the wallpapering guide →Plaster
How to Paint New Plaster Without Peeling
Know when plaster is dry, choose the right first coat and avoid common causes of peeling or flaking paint.
Read the new-plaster guide →Woodwork
How to Paint an Interior Door Smoothly
Prepare the door, work in a sensible order and control edges, profiles and film thickness for a cleaner finish.
Read the interior-door guide →Woodwork
How to Paint Over Gloss Successfully
Clean, dull and test old gloss before choosing a compatible primer and finish system.
Read the gloss-paint guide →Stains & repairs
How to Stop Water and Nicotine Stains Bleeding Through Paint
Find the source, clean what can be cleaned and use a blocker suited to the actual stain and substrate.
Read the stain-blocking guide →Exterior woodwork
How to Paint Wooden Window Frames
Check timber, glazing, drainage and weather before building a suitable exterior coating system.
Read the window-frame guide →Need the work done?
Advice is useful. Sometimes the surface needs a decorator.
If access is awkward, the preparation has grown beyond a simple DIY job or you want the finish handled from start to finish, Nottingham Decorating provides painting, decorating and wallpapering services around Hucknall, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Talk through the job
Send the postcode, a short description and a few clear photographs. That is usually the most useful starting point for a quotation.
Request a quote