Decorating your home factsheet
Introduction
We want our tenants to live in properties that they can make their own and are proud
to call home.
This factsheet is designed to give you some guidance on how to prepare and
decorate your home when you move into your new council property.
Decoration allowance
When you move into one of our properties, you may be entitled to some money to
help with the cost of decorating materials.
The decoration allowance is only awarded if we consider that some rooms are in
very bad condition, for example, where we have stripped the wallpaper.
We will give you the full value of the allowance as a B&Q decorating card when you
sign up for your new property. We will ask you to sign that you have accepted the
allowance.
How much allowance will you get?
We will not give you an allowance for the rooms that we have already decorated for
you or where the decoration is in good condition.
If you are entitled to an allowance, we will give you:
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£30 towards the cost of decorating tools and materials to prepare and paint
the room(s).
The following amounts based on the type of rooms that need decorating.
Locationtion
Amount (max) (max)
Living room
Bedroom one
Bedroom two to four
Dining room
Hall
Hall, stairs and landing
£30
£30
£25
£30
£30
£35
So for example, if your property has been awarded a decoration allowance for
bedroom two, you will receive £55 (which includes £30 towards tools and preparation
materials and £25 for paint).
You have six months to spend your allowance and you can use your B&Q decorating
card on the following items:
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Interior paints, wood care and varnishes.
Wallpaper and pastes.
Non-powered decorating tools.
Sandpaper, fillers and sealants.
Cleaning products.
Conditions for use
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Change cannot be given when the gift card is used.
You can use the gift card on different visits. It does not have to be used at the
same time.
You are responsible for keeping the gift card safe. If you lose your gift card or
it is stolen, it will not be replaced.
Where can you use the card?
You can spend your card at any B&Q store across the country and in Bristol.
Muller Road, Horfield, BS7 9NU
Foxden Road, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8SP
Imperial Park, Bishopsworth, BS13 7YJ
Gallagher Retail Park, Longwell Green, BS30 7DA
Cribbs Causeway, Lysander Way, BS10 7TX
0117 951 0722
0117 317 2600
0117 947 3600
0117 301 2000
0117 950 6366
Decorating tools and materials
Good preparation = good quality finish. Do not cut corners when it comes to
decorating your home.
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Work on one room at a time and don’t scrimp on preparation and drying time.
Choose good quality materials and follow the instructions on the packaging.
Make sure that brushes and other items are clean and in good condition.
Make sure that you work on clean and dry surfaces. We may have removed
some wallpaper and filled in cracks and holes. You still need to do some
preparation (such as rubbing down and dusting off the walls) before painting.
Dress for the job: don’t wear woolly clothes that will leave fibres on the wet
paint; wear cotton preferably.
What you may need
As we will have painted the woodwork and metalwork, these are the materials we
think you may need.
Multi-purpose filler
Filling in small cracks and holes on plaster and
wood.
Emulsion nine inch roller kit
To apply emulsion to walls and ceilings.
All-purpose paint brush two inch For touching up emulsion and cutting in.
Masking tape
To protect windows and door frames e.t.c.
Polythene dustsheet
To protect furniture or floors from drips.
Assorted sandpaper
To smooth down rough surfaces before painting.
Emulsion
To paint walls.
Matt emulsion
To paint ceilings.
Health and safety tips
Before you start decorating, there are a few things to keep in mind when you get
started with your DIY:
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Dress sensibly and think about protecting your hands, eyes and nose as a
minimum.
Keep children and pets out of the room you are decorating.
Use a strong stepladder to get to areas out of your reach, not a chair or stool!
Use tools for what they were made to do. If you have any doubts, call the
maker’s helpline.
Always read labels for information on safety and health related issues.
Areas with Asbestos
You may have asbestos in your home so you need to be very careful when you do
DIY jobs.
When you signed your tenancy agreement, you received some information about
any known asbestos located in your home.
We ask that you:
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Do not work on any form of asbestos or material that we or you think may
contain asbestos.
Do not drill, cut or disturb it in any way.
Do not scrape or sand down.
Before you start any work please read our asbestos factsheet which you can find on
our website at www.bristol.gov.uk/abestos. If you have any doubt please contact the
Repairs and Maintenance Service.
Do’s and dont’s when decorating
Do
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Use oil based primers on stains before you emulsion top coats.
Use decorator’s caulk to fill gaps as this can be decorated over.
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When filing ceiling cracks, ‘v’ the crack open with filler knife. Then fill with
flexible filler.
Use matt paint on walls and ceilings, where possible, so roller marks are not
left and the finish is superior.
Work on one room at a time.
Allow for one primer, under coat and two top coats to walls, ceilings and
woodwork.
Seek advice from a Council surveyor before attempting to remove any texture
surface finish.
In older properties, it is advisable to line walls with lining paper or use heavy
duty papers before painting. It is important to remember older properties will
require a lot of preparation works. The walls, ceilings may not be suitable to
receive paint as a decorative finish without applying a plaster skimming coat
first. This is a service the Council will not provide.
Clean equipment which has been used in gloss paint with white spirit.
Keep brush cleaning fluids e.t.c out of the reach of children.
Fully prepare surfaces before decorating (either painting or papering) as this
will reflect in the finish achieved.
Don’t
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Use emulsion directly over nicotine or water stains. These will burn through
even after several coats.
Use silicone (acrylic sealant) to fill gaps in plaster or joints in ceilings, walls.
The silicone cannot be painted over.
Use silk or gloss on ceilings as this will draw the dirt.
Strip every room at once. This can lead to you feeling unable to move in due
to the amount of work to do and it may become costly. You should also be
aware that should you decide not to move (i.e. as decorations haven’t been
finished) you would still be liable to pay rent.
Use gloss paint on woodwork before preparing and undercoating first, as this
will flake off within a short period of time.
Apply a steam stripper without seeking advice from a Council surveyor. If
used for too long a period they can cause the plaster to come off the wall with
the paper. A situation you or your decorator would be responsible for.
Wallpaper over new plaster for six months, where possible.
Rinse, clean decorating materials, tools down sinks, bath or basin wastes.
This could cause a blockage. To clear this could be a chargeable item.
Paint over glass panels in fire doors or above fire doors. They are there for
you to be able to see any smoke, flames before opening the door.
Paint directly over door latches or locks as this can cause them to stick.
Detach door closers on fire doors as these are for you and your visitor’s
safety.
How to paint walls and ceilings
Preparing the room
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Clear as much of the furniture as possible or put it in the centre of the room if
this is not possible.
Use dust sheets to cover the floor and furniture that has to stay in the room.
Use masking tape around switches and light fittings.
Stripping wallpaper
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With a scraper, score over the paper, being careful not to damage the plaster
behind. Fill a bucket of hot water and add some washing up liquid.
With a large sponge, wet sections of the wall and leave to soak for 10 to 15
minutes.
Insert the blade of the scraper into a seam to see if the paper is ready to be
taken off (it should come off in large sections).
We ask that you do not use steam wallpaper strippers as these can damage
the plaster.
Cracks and holes
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Fill in cracks and holes with the scraper, trying to get as flat a finish as you
can or slightly above the slightly above the surface
Wait for the filler to be completely dry and rub the excess filler with sandpaper
until you get a smooth surface
If you have just moved in, the walls and ceilings should be free from major holes
(bigger than a 50 pence coin) and cracks as long as a biro pen.
Please contact us if your walls and ceilings need repairs.
Painting walls and ceilings
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If you need to paint the ceiling, paint it first as you are likely to get some
splatters on the walls.
Allow for two coats of paint on the walls and ceilings (more if the walls or
ceilings are painted in dark colours).
Paint the walls, starting by the window and paint in vertical strips away and
parallel to it. Only take a break when you get to a corner to avoid a patchy
finish.
Dealing with leftover paint and used tools
Brush or scrape off the excess paint from the roller into the tray. Transfer the paint
from the tray back into the tin.
If you have not finished decorating, individually wrap the tray, roller and brush into a
plastic bag and keep in a cool place. This will keep them supple for a few days.
Once you have finished your project, clean the tools so that you can re-use them I
the future.
To clean the paintbrush, roller and tray, wash under lukewarm, soapy water and then
rinse until the water runs clear. Leave to dry.
If you want to keep your paint, transfer any leftover paint into a jam jar (labelled by
room) so that you can touch it up if needed.
Disposing of paint safely
Please dispose of any leftover paint responsibly. You should be able to recycle paint
at Bristol’s Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Complaints, comments or compliments
Bristol City Council is committed to providing a high quality service to all its’
customers and welcomes your feedback. You can do this by submitting a complaint,
comment or compliment, about the services you have received.
If you wish to do this, you can complete our online form at
www.bristol.gov.uk/faircomment. You can also obtain a Fair Comment leaflet from
any Customer Service Point or by contacting our Customer Services Centre.
How to contact us
If you need to contact the Repairs and Maintenance Service details are set out
below.
General Enquiries:
Textphone:
Fax:
By Post:
By Email:
By Internet:
0117 922 2200 (Option one)
0117 357 4444
0117 922 2011
Repairs (A Shed), PO Box 3176, Bristol BS3 9FS
repairorders@bristol.gov.uk
www.bristol.gov.uk/repairs
Customer Service Points
If you would like to see someone in person you can visit any Customer Service
Point. Please note opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to
5pm, Wednesday 10.30am to 5om and Friday 9am to 4.30pm. Extended opening
times are available at Phoenix Court, please telephone 0117 922 2200 to check.
Fishponds
Robinson House,
Hockeys Lane,
Fishponds,
Bristol,
BS16 3HL
Hartcliffe
Symes House,
Peterson Square,
Hartcliffe,
Bristol,
BS13 0BD
Southmead
Southmead House,
Greystoke Avenue,
Southmead,
Bristol,
BS10 6BQ
Central Bristol
Phoenix Court,
Bond Street South,
Bristol,
BS1 3PH
Out of hours emergencies
Tel: 0117 922 2050
Textphone: 0117 922 3892
Fax: 0117 922 2379
If you are unsure which team you need or you have a customers’ services related
enquiry, you can email customer.servicepoints@bristol.gov.uk
Produced by Bristol City Council. Revised September 2014