DIY Divas: Home makeover

Picking a project around the house can be a great way to stay active and get creative this summer. If you're looking for some inspiration, how about those walls and ceilings - is it time for some DIY painting?

If you're sick and tired of wallpaper or outdated colours, or the ceiling needs a bit of a facelift, then you may have found the perfect job - a room makeover. Sprucing up your home one room at a time will help you contain the mess and give you multiple small projects to tackle, rather than one never ending task.

Wallpaper

Removing old-fashioned wallpaper gives you licence to redecorate with a funky new design, or even smooth up the walls and try a modern-looking paint. This can be a headache or a breeze, depending on how you tackle it.

A scraper and some sugar soap is one way to peel back the layers on your walls, but this can really stretch the job out. It's also a little bit messy.

For a quick and efficient wallpaper removal process that will even work with painted paper or vinyl wall covering, look no further than a steam-powered wallpaper remover from Kennards Hire.

Paint

A fresh coat of paint can really revitalise your home. So what do you do if you are happy with your wall colour, but want to update your doors and trim?

One thing about skirting boards and doors is that if they get plastered with layer after layer of paint, it really starts to show. Rather than paint of decades of paint and grime - start fresh!

Use a heat gun to melt the paint away, and finish the job with a liquid paint remover and a scraper if necessary. For seriously marked doors and trim, you may need a sander to smooth it all over afterwards.