Q & A

Feb 3 2008 Donny Sheridan

Can We Paint Skirting Boards Without Sanding?

Q We want to lighten our darkstained skirting boards and are thinking of painting over them.

What is the best undercoat and finishing paint for this job? As the boardings are ornate at the top, can we avoid using sandpaper?

A You need to sand the existing skirting boards using a fine sandpaper. This will break the glaze and give the undercoat a surface to grip without damaging the boards. If you don't the new paint will easily chip. Then apply an oil-based undercoat, which may need two coats to cover the dark stain. Then apply two full top coats of gloss.

Remember to allow each coat to dry properly and sand between coats.

Q We tiled our new kitchen with rolled marble tiles last year.

But these are becoming stained with cooking splashes and smudges at the sockets. We were told at the time that the tiles were treated. How can I remove these marks?

A You have no chance of removing the cooking stains from the marble tiles. Once the kitchen was tiled, the tiles should have been treated with two coats of marble tile impregnator, allowing for drying time between coats. And once the tiles were grouted, a third coat of impregnator should have been applied. It sounds as if this wasn't done properly.

Q We are expecting our second child in June. Our son is 19 and we want to extend into our loft to create another bedroom. What's involved and is it a job we could carry out ourselves? We are also looking to fit a window.

A You need to get local authority consent and a building warrant, which will demand architectural drawings for the proposed works. The architect will supply the specification for all the materials such as thickness of insulation, width of staircase and fire escape. He will also be able to get quotes from builders. It will probably be too much for you to carry out yourself, especially with a new baby.

Q We had a new bathroom put in and tiled. The grout is already discoloured inside and outside the shower. Can you advise what has caused this and how it can be sorted without taking the lot out?

A If the grout has gone black, you probably have a problem with damp, especially if the tiles are on an exterior wall. If the grout has gone yellow, then it will probably be from showering and the best way to keep this down is to dry and clean the tiles with a towel after using the shower.