In the third part of his series on decorating, building expert Jeff Howell explains how to make the woodwork look its best Part 2: For walls that stay beautiful, be prepared Part1: A lick of paint Timber is possibly the oldest building material known to man. It is strong, lightweight, easy to work, and to smooth to a nice finish. And, of course, it grows on trees.And timber can last for years and years, decades, centuries even. As long as it is protected from the damaging effects of the weather - specifically water. Our ancestors discovered at a very early stage that the best way to protect timber from damaging moisture was to paint it, and despite all the scientific developments that we have at our disposal in the 21st century, nobody has come up with a better solution.As with walls and ceilings, the best way to achieve a perfect paint finish on woodwork is usually to start by stripping off the old paint. If woodwork is relatively new, and has only ever had one paint system applied to it (a paint "system" being a combination of primer, undercoat and topcoat), then it might be acceptable to rub this down with wire wool or fine sandpaper, and apply a fresh topcoat.
But any more than this, and the paint starts to build up into an unwieldy thickness, which cracks, flakes, and stops doors and windows from closing properly.Professional painters use the naked flame from a gas torch to soften gloss paint, and then scrape it off with a paint hook. This technique is known in the trade as "burning off", although this is more metaphorical than literal: the painted surface should never get hot enough to catch fire. It requires a bit of practice, in order to develop the habit of pointing the flame away from the work with the left hand, while the right hand does the scraping. The heat from a gas torch will also crack window glass if you're not careful. A better DIY equivalent is the electric hot-air gun, a kind of turbo-charged hair dryer, which does essentially the same job, is more forgiving of handling errors, and comes with a variety of interchangeable nozzles, including one with a flat shield for protecting window glass. The only drawback with these is that the vibration from the fan can quickly make your hand go numb, so I wouldn't recommend using one for more than an hour at a time.
The problem with burning off is that it should not be done with lead-based paint, as lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can be absorbed by breathing in the fumes. So if you have an older house, first use a lead test kit (from decorators' suppliers or B&Q). If you do detect lead paint, then the safe option is to use chemical paint stripper to remove it.The next process is to sand the timber flat. (Again, lead-painted surfaces should not be dry-sanded, as lead can be ingested by breathing in the dust.) A hand-held orbital "palm sander" is a valuable tool that can make short work of sanding large areas such as doors and skirting boards.The usual DIY advice is that after sanding, the next step is filling, but I beg to differ. The next step should be to apply a coat of primer, and when this is dry, THEN get to work with the filler knife. The reason for this advice is that filler applied to bare wood will often shrink and work loose, whereas filler applied on top of a primed surface has a better chance of adhering.
Small areas such as dents, hairline cracks, and countersunk screw holes can be filled with powder-based filler such as Tetrion or Pollyfilla - the undercoat and topcoat that cover these will probably hold the filler in place even if it shrinks. For larger areas, however, the new two-part epoxy wood fillers are far superior - they are softer and more flexible, and thus more likely to remain bonded to the timber substrate without working loose. Sanding floors Personally, I think the current fad for bare floorboards is a bad thing, especially in flats, where the footfall noise and airborne acoustics can create hell for the neighbours. Give me a nice carpet any day. But I understand that many people are dedicated followers of fashion, and simply must have that timber floor look.My first advice would be, don't even think about doing it yourself - get a professional in. But if you insist, and want to hire a floor-sander for the weekend, then first sink all the nail-heads at least 5mm using a hammer and punch, otherwise you will rip up 50 quid's worth of sanding sheets in the first half hour.
And then remember the golden rule: keep the sander moving, and don't allow it to rotate in one place for more than a nano-second, otherwise it will gouge a hole in your floor. Fill gaps between floorboards with resin, and take expert advice on the type of sealer you need for your particular floor type and usage - see www.victorianwoodworks.co.uk, 020 8534 1000. Dust busters For inside work, it is always worth attaching any type of power sander to a dust extractor or vacuum cleaner. Most modern tools have a port for this purpose, although you might have to be inventive, with a combination of plastic piping and gaffer tape, to get it connected.Another tip is to open just one window, and put a desk fan on the window sill, facing outwards. This will expel a surprising amount of dust out of the working area. A trick of the trade Modern fillers need to be allowed to dry before being painted over, but professional painters of old had a trick that allowed them to fill dents and cracks in woodwork and paint over them immediately.
Get a lump of linseed-oil putty, add a splash of oil-based undercoat, and stir thoroughly. Apply with filler knife, smooth off, and paint over. It might shrink after a few years, but it can get you out of a hole when time is tight. Next week: tiling, grouting and sealantsHouse plants breathe life into interiors, while cleaning the air as they grow. The trick is to recreate their natural environment. Photographs by David Cleveland. Styling by Sally Cullen Share your photos of house plants via GuardianWitness As the late winter sun sets, I watch the shadows play out over the living room wall. A set of car headlights illuminates the never-never plant (Ctenanthe oppenheimiana) and it flexes a leaf. It often stretches out its stalk and flips a leaf at the TV: I like to imagine it’s a response to a programme, but it’s just a quirk of its family, the arrowroots (Maranthaceae). It’s common in arrowroots for the base of the leaf to be swollen into something called a pulvinus – that’s akin to a knee joint, and allows the plant to move independently of growth.
The pulvinus allows leaves better to intercept light filtering through to the forest floor of its native home, though I like to think of it as a friendly house plant that waves at you every now and then. House plants are more than just decorations to me: they are the other inhabitants of my house. They turn a room into a living space, breathing life into my interiors. They say: someone lives here; someone cares for things; someone calls this home. And they do valuable work. House plants make the air more breathable, releasing oxygen and filtering out everyday pollutants from man-made objects such as formaldehyde. They also release phytochemicals, which suppress mould spores and bacteria in the air. They add humidity, too, helping to counter the dry air of centrally-heated houses. The joy of an orchid just coming out in bloom, the neon tropical hit of a vriesea, or the soothing deep green of a palm leaf all boost our wellbeing. Not all of us can have a garden, or even a window ledge deep enough to grow plants on, but everyone can own a house plant.
The simplest way to understand a house plant’s needs is to find out about its origins. The broad majority of easy-to-care-for house plants tend to be understorey plants of tropical forests. Spider plants, pothos vines, begonias, maranta, calathea, ctenanthes, dracaena, dieffenbachia, bromeliads and epiphytic orchids all fall into this category. These plants thrive in warm (15C minimum), humid, dimly-lit forests, places with little air movement. These are the conditions of most of our interiors: warm, some sun, and hopefully not too many draughts. These plants don’t want to dry out too much, and they shouldn’t sit in full sun for long. Mostly, it’s incorrect watering that kills them. The easiest way to find out whether your plant is thirsty is to pick it up; dry soil is light, wet heavy. Central heating dries out plants, and in winter this can become an issue, because the plant doesn’t necessarily need more water around its roots, just more relative humidity surrounding the leaves.
Resolve this by misting the plant daily, or sit it in a saucer of pebbles topped up with water. Orchids in particular like around 50% humidity all the time. For east- or west-facing windows Streptocarpus (cape primrose) – these come from the wooded ravines and valleys of the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa, and want light, but never direct sunlight. They like to dry out a little between watering, but sit them in water and the roots rot. If you want them to flower, feed them through the growing season. For sun-drenched rooms Succulents – the jade plant Crassula ovata is very hard to kill, and will grow huge and handsome if repotted often. Water when you remember. Aloe vera from South Africa needs to be watered sparingly over spring and summer, and maybe once during the winter. It’s one to grow in the kitchen, because the slimy insides of the leaves are excellent on burns. Basement dwellers The spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum – this is native to tropical Africa and looks best grown in a hanging basket.
Ceiling plant hooks that swivel will allow you to rotate the plant for maximum light; wonderful for those short of sill space. Water sparingly between October and February, and liberally otherwise. Or try the maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), which loves shade and moisture. Forgetful gardeners Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) – this is found in woodland and forest margins in tropical west Africa and the Congo, so it tolerates low light and dry conditions. This one thrives upon neglect. • Plants supplied by House of Plants, Dibleys Nurseries, Ikea, Dobbies, Wyevale Garden Centres and B&Q. “Maximise all corners of your home with plant stands. Some space-saving plant stands are designed to fit into corners and can also accommodate additional levels so that you can create more space for plants and plant pots. They’re often available in a range of materials, colours and shapes so you can create a statement look no matter what your space and style.” “If you’re arranging planters always follow the odd number rule, so group them in threes or fives.
Go for similar materials which complement each other. I also like taking terracotta planters and spray-painting them or the saucers matching them to another colour in the room’s scheme, such as a cushion or piece of furniture. Also look at hanging displays, whether it’s pots in macramé, suspended terrariums or upside-down planters; they really jazz things up. Isabelle Palmer, the Balcony Gardener “The pots I use to plant in are often quite considered - it’s a great opportunity to pick something that will really complement or even enhance the plant inside it and the room it’s in. I tend to view the pot as important as the plant - choosing colours or shapes that work well with the foliage and form of the plant. The standard terracotta pot is a great safe option, it works with pretty much every type of plant regardless of its colour or texture. I certainly have a lot of them mixed in around the house too.” John Tebbs, the Garden Edit Terrariums make a stunning centrepiece for any coffee table with the added benefit of requiring minimal maintenance.
The unique, simple air plants and succulents compliment the contemporary glassware beautifully to provide a striking decorative feature. Lucy Serafi, the Urban Botanist To create an impact, group pots and plants together en masse. Think of colours and shapes that work well together and be bold with design. Use pots that enhance the plants beauty – this is very important, not every plant goes with every pot! When grouping on a mantelpiece go for plants of various texture and height, incorporating leafy, hanging and statement plants. Nik Southerns, Grace & Thorn By considering complementary shapes, textures, pattern and colour –as well as their need for light-, I like to group plants together rather than displaying them individually. I collect mid century West German (fat lava) ceramic pots and vases, which come to life when planted. Think outside the box when considering planters. Old trunks and woven baskets make wonderful containers for root systems. I love the juxtaposition between concrete and nature.