Protecting carpets and furniture from paint and dust
There is no point employing a decorator to make the walls and woodwork look nice if the furniture and carpets get ruined in the process.
Wooden or tiled floors – I lay stout paper on the floor, and stick masking tape around the edges. This offers total protection from paint drops, and it is easy to hoover up dust and keep the room clean during and after work every day.
Carpets Stair carpets are the most problematic when painting hallways. If the carpets have to stay, I can mask them up completely. On average this adds a couple of extra hours to the job.
The least disruptive solution for lounge / dining / bedroom carpets is to cover them with plastic sheeting and stick masking tape along the edge of the skirting boards.
If carpets are being replaced as part of the new decorating scheme, I would recommend taking the old ones up, along with the underlay.
Curtains, lamp shades, sundries… I ask customers to remove the small items before I start work. When something cannot be removed for practical reasons, I would protect it with plastic.
Furniture – If the room is large, or there is no other option, I would place the furniture in the middle of the room and cover it all with plastic sheeting.
Having said that, the best place for furniture is away from the room being decorated. Not only is it safest, but it is cheaper too, because working for several days avoiding knocking into cupboards and sofas can add considerably to the overall price.
You can find a local Man and a Van to move your furniture out the work area into another room for a more economical rate than what your decorator would charge.
If you wanted to store your furniture for the duration of the work, a removal firm can come and deal with everything for you.
All workmen on your property need to be fully insured too. I carry Public Liability just in case my protective sheeting lets me down with a paint spill. It hasn’t happened yet, but if it did, we are all covered!
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One comment to “Protecting carpets and furniture from paint and dust”
I think masking and sheeting up a room is the best ever first impression you can make on a customer