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Paint expert debunks common decorating ‘myths’ – can result in ‘great confusion’

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Angel Adoree shares her tips for painting walls

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There are many misconceptions when it comes to and decorating, with a lot of people having ideas about what they think is correct or what can and cannot be done. From painting your rooms all the same colour to not being able to paint in the cold, these “myths” can result in “great confusion”. Michael Rolland, DIY expert at The Paint Shed , has shared some of the most common myths people should be aware of.

1. You don’t need a primer

The expert explained: “Some people believe that they can save a lot of time and effort by not using paint primer and instead using multiple coats of paint.

“However, doing this could lead to the paint peeling and wearing further down the line. Priming is an incredibly important step to getting a professional finish, it helps the paint stick to the walls, enhancing the shine and blocking future stains.

“Paint primer will keep what you painted looking better for longer, saving you time and effort in the long run.”

Make sure to spend the extra amount of time priming any surface before painting it to give it a smooth finish.

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Paint expert debunks common decorating ‘myths’ - can result in ‘great confusion’

Paint expert debunks common decorating ‘myths’ – can result in ‘great confusion’ (Image: Getty)

2. Small rooms should not be painted dark colours

The expert said this misconception comes from the idea that dark colours in a small room will make it appear much smaller.

However, dark colours don’t always lead to small, dark spaces and can actually be a great idea for poorly lit rooms and smaller rooms.

Michael noted: “Combined with the right textures and finishes, opting for dark paint in a small room can often create a cosy, calm space with a moody undertone.”

3. Paint never goes off

The DIY pro continued: “The majority of the time you will end up with spare paint at the end of a DIY project. A lot of people will put the lid back on the paint can and store it either in the garage, shed or loft. It’s important to remember that all paint does eventually go bad.

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“Open paint can last around five years on average if properly stored and sealed, however, most brands will recommend using the paint within six months of purchase to avoid any deterioration in the paint quality.”

4. You can’t paint in the cold

Painting in cold weather is trickier than other types of painting projects, with many manufacturers recommending the area is at least 10C.

Michael said: “Painting when it is cold can cause various effects on the paint and its application. For example, water-based paints or those labelled as ‘latex’ can freeze at lower temperatures.

“This shouldn’t, however, stop you from painting in colder temperatures, with a well-heated home there should be no issues, just make sure the temperature stays between 10C to 30C.

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Priming walls will help the final result to look better for longer

Priming walls will help the final result to look better for longer (Image: Getty)

“You can also stop the issue of freezing by adding a freeze-resistant paint additive to the paint to help. No matter the temperature outside, it’s crucial you keep the room you are painting well-ventilated.

“This includes opening windows and doors or purchasing a fan. This will limit the lingering smell and allow the paint to dry faster.”

5. You can paint over mould

Unfortunately, mould isn’t something which can just be painted over and forgotten about as it will not actually resolve the issue itself.

The mould will regrow working its way through the walls and ceiling, eating through the coatings of paint and Britons will be left back in the same situation.

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Michael added: “Mould will continue to grow unless properly treated and eventually reappear, bringing the same problems as before.

“Rather than hiding the mould problem by painting over it, you need to ultimately work out and fix what is causing it. If simply left untreated and covered up with paint, the mould will regrow working its way through the walls and ceilings, eating through the coatings of paint and you will be left back in the same situation as before. Only once the surface you are looking to paint on has been made free of the dampness and mould issues, you should apply a new coat of paint without the worry of black mould reappearing due to dampness.”

6. The colour of your walls won’t affect the value of your home

A fresh coat of paint inside and outside the home can go a long way to impress prospective buyers viewing a home. However, Michael said that certain colours may cause buyers to put in a lower offer, and others would put them off altogether.

Research done by The Paint Shed found that four in 10 Britons would offer less for a home they were interested in based on the colour scheme.

The expert said: “When asked how much less they would offer the seller of the property due to an undesirable colour scheme, nearly nine in 10 UK residents would reduce their offer by between £1,000 to £5,000, and 11 percent would offer between £6,000 to £10,000 less. More surprisingly, however, are the three in 100 that would offer over £20,000 less just because of a lick of paint.”

Heating expert shares ‘useless’ energy saving tricks to ‘avoid’ – ‘never do this’

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Portable heater, black radiator

‘Useless’ energy saving tricks to ‘avoid’ – they do ‘nothing to help you save money’ (Image: GETTY)

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With winter over and the nation still experiencing cold temperatures, many households may be looking for ways to keep their warm and power their house without adding significant costs to their . From fibs to facts circulating on social media, experts from Stelrad Renewable Heating have sifted through TikTok to discover eight energy saving hacks to avoid, from painting radiators black to charging phones with a fidget spinner. Chris Harvey at Stelrad has debunked them, offering reasoning as to why households should avoid each one.

1. Solar windows

With 2.1 million views on TikTok , this is a hack that many people clearly hope will work, but unfortunately “it doesn’t actually generate power”, according to the expert.

One video on TikTok illustrates how a window is made from rotten fruit and veg, which is then suspended in a resin substrate.

Chris argued: “Although it is a clever and sustainable way to reuse your rotten fruit and veg, it is not intended to generate electricity and is therefore useless as an energy-saving trick.

“Other than looking pretty, this hack does nothing else to help you save money on your electrics.”

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2. Magnetic fields

Wracking up to 421,000 views, a TikTok video claims magnetic fields can create electricity. The expert said: “This hack seems to generate enough electricity to power a light bulb, although truthfully you’ll need a much bigger magnet and several other circuit elements like a coil to make this work.

“Although the idea is somewhat interesting, as magnetic generators can create a magnetic force, it is not enough to light a bulb up by itself.”

3. Portable heaters

Designed to heat up one small room at a time, portable heaters are circulating TikTok , with over 112,000 views. However, unfortunately, these heaters “won’t save you any money in the long run”, as they are usually “not cheaper than central heating”, claimed Chris.

4. Black radiators

This myth is somewhat believable as it is true that black and dark coloured materials absorb heat faster than lighter ones, however, this too is “useless”.

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A TikTok video with 252,000 views sets out to explain that a black radiator will create more heat for a home, as black and dark coloured materials absorb heat faster than lighter ones, however, at Stelrad, “we would never recommend to do this”, said the expert.

He explained: “Whilst it is true that darker colours absorb heat faster, this is only the case when heat is generated through light.

“So even though may be good to look at, it will do absolutely nothing to reduce energy bills.”

Instead it’s more important to insulate the walls to prevent heat leaking out of the home, rather than wasting time painting a radiator.

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5. Tin foil behind radiator

Interestingly, is a popular heating hack with 104,400 views, but in order for this hack to “truly be effective” the radiator would need to be “on high for an extremely long time” and is “certainly not something we recommend doing and should be avoided”, said Chris.

He urged: “You should never cover or try to adapt your radiator. Instead, we recommend ensuring all radiators are not blocked by furniture and that they have been bled once a year at least.”

6. Turn heating off if not at home

Whilst this might sound like a waste of money, a TikTok video shows it’s more cost-effective to keep heating on between 16 to 17 degrees and then increase it to 18 to 20 degrees when home, as a small adjustment of one to two degrees for a short period shouldn’t increase energy bills.

Instead Chris said: “You should pre-programme your heating so that the heat is increased slightly in the morning before you wake off and just before bed.”

@savvyjamie Replying to @G I invited it pains me in 2022 in the UK that I am having to make content like this, but unfortunately it’s necessary. Here are my top tips for keeping yourself warm at home with your heating off or on low. #financialcrisis #heating #costofliving #costoflivingcrisis #costoflivingcrisisuk #keepingwarm #keepingwarmthiswinter ♬ original sound – Jamie Rose

7. Solar chargers

With 49,100 TikTok views, the heating pro said: “We can confirm this energy-saving hack isn’t going to save you a fortune.

“Whilst we all struggle with keeping our phones charged throughout the day, using a solar charger is not going to help rid us of this issue. Perhaps this hack should be kept among the camping community, instead of homeowners.”

8. Fidget spinner to charge your phone

Fidget spinners might have been all the rage several years ago, but it looks like they might have another purpose with TikTokers claiming households can use one to charge their phone.

The heating expert said: “With 13,000 views on TikTok , it’s not something we’d suggest doing, probably because it’s time-consuming and won’t work as efficiently as charging your phone the normal way.”

The Threat of TikTok

by www.nytimes.com Leave a Comment

The platforms are so powerful, their names are verbs: Google, Uber, Instagram, Netflix.

For years, the dominance of American tech companies has brought economic benefits to the United States. It has also offered an advantage in a less obvious area — national security.

Tech companies gather incredible amounts of data about their users. They know where we travel, who our friends are and what we watch. Governments want to use this data for surveillance, law enforcement and espionage. So they hack, hoard, steal and buy it . For years, the U.S. has had an edge over other countries. With court approval, the government can demand that social media giants, based in the U.S. and subject to U.S. law, hand over data about users.

“We had this advantage that we thought would just go on forever,” Bruce Schneier, a security expert and Harvard fellow, said.

Then TikTok came along. The social media app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has more than a billion users . TikTok says that includes about 150 million Americans. Under China’s authoritarian state, the government has sweeping control over tech companies and their data. U.S. officials are worried that China will use TikTok to promote its interests and gather Americans’ personal information. One Republican called it a “ spy balloon in your phone .”

TikTok is the latest flashpoint in the two countries’ struggle for supremacy. Last week, TikTok said U.S. officials had given its Chinese ownership two options: Sell the app or risk a nationwide ban. This morning, lawmakers will question TikTok’s chief executive, Shou Chew, about the app’s ties to China.

Today, I will explain the fight over TikTok and how the U.S. is trying to use the app to its advantage.

The concerns

This fight is ostensibly about data: who controls it and determines how it appears on TikTok. The U.S. has two main reasons for concern.

First is the threat of Chinese espionage. BuzzFeed found that ByteDance engineers in China had accessed American users’ private data. ByteDance also admitted that employees, including two based in China, spied on journalists and obtained their IP addresses , but said that company leaders had not signed off and that the employees were fired. Despite ByteDance’s close ties to China, TikTok has denied that it has given data to the government.

Second, ByteDance could use TikTok’s algorithms to influence Americans. TikTok has been accused of censoring videos about politically sensitive subjects for China , like Tibetan independence and the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“ A Chinese company owns what has become America’s number one culture maker right now,” Sapna Maheshwari, a Times reporter who covers TikTok, said. In the future, lawmakers say, it’s easy to imagine how China could use TikTok to shape American attitudes about Taiwan — or an American presidential campaign.

The U.S. is escalating efforts to limit TikTok’s power. The federal government and more than half of the states have banned TikTok from government devices and networks. Britain, Canada and Belgium have done the same. India banned the app entirely. Now the U.S. is threatening a nationwide ban, too.

How likely is a ban?

Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020, but judges rejected his attempt. The government is trying again , though it’s unclear exactly how a ban would be implemented. There is no precedent for U.S. restrictions on an app this big.

One approach that some lawmakers prefer would remove TikTok from Apple’s and Google’s app stores and make the app nonfunctional on U.S. cellphone networks. But the government couldn’t reach into users’ phones to delete the app. TikTok would still be accessible to those who already have it, though users couldn’t download updates to the app, which would probably render it unusable eventually.

Any ban faces legal and political hurdles, including questions about First Amendment protections and the possibility of angering millions of TikTok users heading into a presidential election year.

The U.S. may be threatening a ban to force another outcome in its favor — the sale of TikTok to an American company. TikTok and the U.S. have previously negotiated about one. Still, the path is murky. China is unlikely to approve a sale. And if it did, it’s unclear who would buy the app, which could cost $50 billion, according to some analysts. A sale could also trigger antitrust concerns for probable suitors like Microsoft .

The power of a threat

Even if a ban never happens, the threat of one still matters. The Biden administration is using the specter of further restrictions to communicate a hard line on China. Lawmakers in both parties will likely make that point clear in the hearing today.

The episode is the latest in the larger fight between two world powers competing for dominance. In this contest, data is a valuable source of economic and political clout.

“If you can control data, you can have influence,” Joseph Nye, a political scientist, said.

China has known this for years. The country has banned apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and operated a tightly controlled internet, isolating its citizens from the rest of the world. The U.S. is now threatening to use China’s playbook against it, effectively leveraging private companies as a national asset and limiting information access as a form of sanctioning.

Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, is expected to tell Congress today that the app is a vehicle for promoting soft power — a “lens through which the rest of the world can experience American culture.” But the U.S. has made clear it cares more about the hard power of data.

“TikTok is the first platform to truly compete with these huge American tech companies,” Sapna said. “The signal the government is sending is: Don’t bother.”

For more

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  • Stocks rose on the news of the rate hike, but fell later in the day as investors fretted about banking.

Politics

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Opinions

Teaching the conservative intellectual tradition challenges liberal college students — and gives conservative ones something to aspire to , says Jon Shields .

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MORNING READS

Sky-scraping summits: A writer, guided by an epic folk tale, tours the Himalayas .

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90-year-old tortoise: Mr. Pickles is a new dad of three .

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Lives Lived: In the early 1960s, scientists didn’t fully understand how marijuana got people high. The Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam sought to find out, earning the unofficial title “the father of cannabis research.” Mechoulam died at 92 .

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A hit: The World Baseball Classic championship game was the tournament’s most-watched game ever in the U.S.

One more year: North Carolina’s Armando Bacot will return to school for a fifth season of basketball.

Cancer diagnosis: Free-agent N.F.L. tight end Foster Moreau has Hodgkin’s lymphoma that was discovered during a routine physical conducted by the New Orleans Saints’ medical team.

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From book to screen

Alice Oseman’s webcomic “Heartstopper” has grown into a sensation, first as a graphic novel series with three million copies in print and then as a live-action Netflix series. Along the way, Oseman has been intent on staying true to her original creation.

“It was really important to us in our vision to preserve the aesthetic of the comics and the tone of the comics,” Oseman told The Times. Using frames from the comic and clips from the show, she explained how she adapted three key scenes .

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook

It’s radicchio season. Use it in this Caesar salad .

Theater

“Shucked” brings country music, and corny puns , to Broadway.

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The hosts are still awaiting Donald Trump’s potential perp walk .

Now Time to Play

The pangram from yesterday’s Spelling Bee was fidgety . Here is today’s puzzle .

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword , and a clue: Scale, as a rock wall (five letters).

And here’s today’s Wordle .

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow.

P.S. One of the Liberty cargo ships the U.S. lent to Britain during World War II was named for Adolph S. Ochs , The Times’s former publisher.

Here’s today’s front page .

“ The Daily ” is about American cinema.

Matthew Cullen, Lauren Hard, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Tom Wright-Piersanti and Ashley Wu contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at [email protected] .

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Home improvement jobs ‘cheaper’ to hire a professional than DIY – save up to £2,000

by www.express.co.uk Leave a Comment

Home improvement jobs ‘cheaper’ to hire a professional than DIY - save up to £2,000

Home improvement jobs ‘cheaper’ to hire a professional than DIY – save up to £2,000 (Image: Getty)

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As warmer weather approaches, many homeowners in the UK may begin to think about tackling various jobs to spruce up their homes . However, with money tighter than ever for households, it’s important to cut costs where possible for many. Researchers at interiors brand Bobbi Beck , have shared the jobs where it is cheaper to hire a professional than attempt .

Unsurprisingly, the data shows that on average, it is 50 percent “cheaper” to undertake a DIY home job rather than hiring a professional.

However, in some cases, Britons can expect to save around £1,800 by ditching their tools and outsourcing their work to an experienced tradesman.

Out of the 28 home renovation jobs investigated, eight were found to be cheaper when outsourced.

This includes fitting a carpet, which according to the experts, only costs £135 to hire a professional, compared to the £1,039 to DIY.

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Changing a plug socket does involve some risks if you DIY

Changing a plug socket does involve some risks if you DIY (Image: Getty)

Britons can also make some serious savings when wanting to put up a curtain rail as well as hanging pictures and mirrors.

While this varies in different areas of the country and between tradesman, the experts said on average hiring a tradesman to hang mirrors and pictures is 58 percent cheaper than DIYing it.

This also takes into account the tools and equipment required, and the expenses can quickly add up, whereas professionals will already have these to hand.

According to the research, changing a plug socket should also be left to the professionals, not only for safety, but for cost too.

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Changing a plug socket at home can cost more than £200 with the right tools, but hiring a pro can cost just £40.

Other jobs where it is cheaper to outsource the work include laying a patio, where it is 22 percent cheaper, chimney sweeping, which is 34 percent cheaper, and cleaning the gutter.

Cleaning the gutter is an important job, especially in the spring months and getting it right is crucial, so hiring a pro may be the best option.

It is also cheaper, with the cost of hiring a professional costing around £150, compared to the over £300 to DIY this job.

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Cleaned white new gutters and drain pipes on restoration house

It may be cheaper to hire a professional to clean gutters (Image: Getty)

Lastly, the experts also said fitting a lock is also more expensive to DIY, standing at around £218, compared to the £80 to hire a locksmith.

Another reason to put down the tools and enlist help is to reduce the risk factor. Whilst trying DIY can help to save lots of money, taking on certain tasks can still come at a cost.

The experts at Bobbi Beck said some jobs are high risk and if they go wrong, it could actually be more expensive to fix the mistakes.

James Mellan-Matulewicz from Bobbi Beck said: “Getting stuck into some DIY is always a great activity for people wanting to get a bit more hands-on and save some money, but sometimes it would be smarter and safer to hire a professional.

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“Research may show that most jobs are cheaper to do yourself, but some do require a professional as they can be very challenging, such as plastering a wall, tiling a bathroom, changing a radiator, wiring a light switch and laying decking. Professional tradesmen are fine-tuned in skills and capabilities that not everybody can pull off straight away.

“In the interest of saving on any long-term costs to your health and safety, consider leaving some of these heavy duty or potentially dangerous tasks to the experts.”

There are also a lot of tasks which can be done at home for a fraction of the price, including replacing a door knob, bleeding a radiator and sealing windows and doors.

DIYers may also find it cheaper to unblock a sink, hang shelves on the wall as well as replace a light fitting.

Phil Spencer says ‘fundamentals’ of housing market ‘are fine’ for first-time buyers

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Phil Spencer at the Ideal Home Show/ houses for sale boards

Phil Spencer says ‘fundamentals’ of housing market ‘are fine’ for first-time buyers (Image: IDEAL HOME SHOW/GETTY)

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Moving house has been a lottery for many people in the past few months, with turbulent house prices and mortgage rates making it difficult to secure a new home. But while the prospect of purchasing a property as a first-time buyer seems impossible for many, Phil Spencer has urged Britons to give it a go while the “fundamentals” of today’s market “are fine”.

Speaking at the Ideal Home Show at Olympia London, the “Location Location Location” host revealed that he believes now is in fact a good time to move house in the UK.

He said: “The only way to confidently make the decision on whether to stay or to go, how much should I invest, is to actually go and do it.

“Do the research spend the money, invest in your home, lift its value, try and sort out the problems and then see if you have sorted them out.

“Meanwhile, go and have a look in the market and see what your hopefully improved budget could buy you, and then you’ll be making a decision from an informed point and an informed place.”

READ MORE: Find out how monthly mortgage repayments are changing with this tool

Phil Spencer at Ideal Home Show 2023

Phil addressed the ‘sensationalism’ over the housing market challenges in 2022 (Image: IDEAL HOME SHOW)

The show, which will run until Sunday, April 2, saw the property expert debunk a common myth amongst Britons – that the housing market is unsettled.

He explained that while there are limitations on the amount of help offered to buyers, particularly those doing it for the first time, it is a somewhat prosperous time.

Phil told the Ideal Home Show audience: “I believe that the general market conditions across the housing market are okay, they are considered settling.

“And that’s coming off the back of a really crazy couple of years, which would, beyond belief, actually, the fundamentals of the market today I believe are fine.”

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The 52-year-old acknowledged that it may seem daunting to embark on the moving process after the “uncertainty” of last year, though there are ways to make the transition more “gentle”.

Phil noted that despite the news of banks “pulling money” and mortgages while interest rates were rising at the back end of 2022, “things aren’t as bad” now.

And when it comes to getting the ball rolling on moving, buyers should have more luck with securing a good estate agent.

He said: “I genuinely don’t think there are many unscrupulous agents out there anymore. They have a bad reputation that has come with them from a long time ago, and whilst there are definitely some dodgy practices out there, I genuinely believe those times have gone.”

READ MORE: Methods to ‘prevent streaks’ when cleaning windows this spring

Phil Spencer at Ideal Home Show 2023

The property expert shared his advice for experienced and first-time buyers (Image: IDEAL HOME SHOW)

To find the best agent, Phil warned against choosing them based on price, and instead, give your home “due care and attention” by paying “proper money” to get good advice.

He added: “My advice would actually be to look for a Property Mark agent – Property Mark is the biggest umbrella group of agents who are coming up with their own regulation.

“They’re getting agents to take exams and to follow a code of practice. So, look for an agent that belongs to that umbrella, I think there are 18,000 agents within that umbrella and it’s a good safe place to be.”

And as your “most valuable asset”, getting the best person to handle your potential home is even more important if you’re new to the property ladder.

Phil said: “It’s all about preparation and research. Before you go looking, before you step foot into a property, there’s a lot of research and preparation to be done.

“The first thing really to do is work out how much you can afford. So go and see an independent financial adviser or broker and get your budget pinned down – you can’t go shopping for something until you know how much you’ve got to spend.

“Once you know what you’ve got to spend, then you can think about where you could buy one bed or a two bed, whatever you’re looking for and identify the areas.

“So it’s a gentle process, money, then area and size of the property and having done that, then you can start looking.”