Just wondering what every else does, you know the situation, the room to be decorated looks scruffy except for the switches, window frames etc, then after all decorated it's these items that look messy from years of previous decorators paint, worse still if it's a similar shade to the one you have just put on it looks like you've been messy, so do you clean them or leave em?
Clean them, the job looks so much better, and the customer will notice the difference. As the paint will be old you should just be able to scrap it off. If swtches etc are particulary tatty, you could offer to replace them.
Definitley clean them. You are only as good as the person who did the job previously. So if you clean them the customer will notice.
Definitely clean them off. Ideally slacken off the screws a touch before scraping / chipping off the old paint as a part of prep, before masking off, painting and then removing masking (and finally tightening up - If you've masked off and left a suffecient gap then you just need to remove the masking and tighten up for a perfect finish - job done!) Only takes a few minutes per socket top but well worth it - nothing worse than seeing ancient old cack in pink, green or blue etc up against a mag wall. No point saying you didn't apply it - all the customer will care about is a ** overall appearance [Edited by: admin5]
Agreed, but I've just advised how to do what we both think should be done... (There's a difference between just replying to posts and actually answering them...)
You must clean them, thats the difference between you and the last decorator. It does my head in when I see the old paint over the switches and on the PVC, and sometimes it does take ages to clean off, but I always get the paint off first, then after I have finished, I always go over the switches and pvc again. The customer will be so impressed, and there will be more from that customer in the future, as a clean worker is worth thier weight in gold.
agree clean them, but i also remove all doors and clean all door fittings,hinges,etc. window fittings etc and glass, and hoover dust and polish, re hang curtians and put back all the furniture pictures, the client will remember u big time and they spread the word. T-C
With everyone else on this one. I hate seeing paint on sockets, switches etc A very useful trick is to use one of those green scouring pads to remove the paint. They are also great for removing spots of paint (oil or emulsion) or scuff marks etc. on laminate floors without scratching the laminate. Don't use them on brass or Chrome switches though
agree clean them, but i also remove all doors and clean all door fittings,hinges,etc. window fittings etc and glass, and hoover dust and polish, re hang curtians and put back all the furniture pictures, the client will remember u big time and they spread the word. T-C I do roughly the same, except removing hinges, especially if they are elderley, if they have a husband, I wont put heavy back furniture, but I will hang thier lampshades,and clean thier windows. They do remember, and they pass your name along, plus I couldnt walk away and not do it. But it has its downside,lol as a some of my clients are elederley, and they ring me once ot twice a year to clean the guttering and soffits, the PVC and the outside windows of thier bungelows, as they find it hard to get a window cleaner for thier bungelows. I then have thier neighbours asking me to do thiers, but I have to refuse, as I cant take anymore on. I even ended up clearing an old dears garden once, cutting back bushes trees, and getting rid of the weeds. She had got someone out of the local paper who did garden work, to come and give her a quote, to do what I have just decribed, she had already told me how she was ripped off over some work on her front by someone else. I was in the dining room decorating, and 3 men had turned up to give her a quote to do the garden, and I could hear them, plus how much they wanted, I was shocked at the price they gave her, as I could hear she was going to be ripped off again,they said it would take 3 of them a whole day to do it, and they wanted £450. They were pushing her for a confirmation, and I could see she was getting agitated, so I went out and said to the men, its okay I'll do it, one of them turned round and told me F* off and mind my own business etc. The upshot was I did it, I started at 8am on my own, cut bag all the overhanging trees, bushes, shrubs etc,( she didnt have any grass, her garden was all crazy paving) sweeped up, bagged it all up, and I was finished at 1.30PM I charged her £80, plus I got more decorating from her, and some of her neighbours.
agree clean them, but i also remove all doors and clean all door fittings,hinges,etc. window fittings etc and glass, and hoover dust and polish, re hang curtians and put back all the furniture pictures, the client will remember u big time and they spread the word. T-C Yep agree with that except the doors, I never remove them. everything else you have to do. Hover and dusting/polishing should be a big part of all good decorators jobs anyway and bd is right they do remember you big time.
I think Im gonna buck the trend a little by saying that i only clean the switches/fittings BEFORE I do any painting depending on the customer. If the punter smokes 40 **** a day and there is an inch of dust on the carpet then I dont think they'll really notice /appreciate me cleaning the sockets etc If the customer has a decent standards then I will spend 10 mins cleaning the sockets/cover plates with my scraper and a moist green scouring pad first.It does set u up for a sharper cut with your cutting in too.
Always clean them, also windows. Both methods, razor scraper and microfibre cloth with meths or water dependin on the stain/mark.