complete redecoration

[florrie]

Not long moved into a 2 bed flat and apart from the bathroom and toilet the whole place needs to be redecorated. I've stripped most of the wallpaper already and the backing came off easily. Before i paint do i need to use an undercoat or can i just pick a colour and start painting? Also i have parts of the walls that are bare plaster (where an old fireplace was ripped out) do i need to seal/ use an undercoat or can i paint straight onto it? Also what sort of paints do you advise i use i have no idea what the difference between silk/matt etc are! and last question how do i remove the old wallpaper from behind a radiator without removing the thing as i don't wanna do that if i can avoid it.

 

[gcol]

First off, matt emulsion has a non shiny finish and doesn't wipe down too well. Silk is the opposite and has a surface that you can wipe down easily. Silk is better for high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms. The thing is that silk doesn't cover as well as matt and the fact that silk is shiny means that it shows off bumps and irregularities in your wall or ceiling. You can get a "soft sheen" or an "eggshell" paint that is somewhere between the two and gives you more scope to wipe down. Personally I prefer matt everywhere apart from the bathroom where I use silk. Johnstones Ultramatt is very good and covers well.
Bare or new plaster should ideally have a coat of emulsion that's been watered down a little before painting proper.
What is worth mentioning is that if you can see any marks or blemishes in the unpainted wall then you'll more than likely see them when it's painted too. You may be better papering it with lining paper then painting.