Wash down paint and plaster with a mild detergent solution, followed by plenty of clean water, and allow to dry.

A papered ceiling that's in good condition should just be dusted with a soft brush. Paste down any loose edges.

Treat stains or rust spots with a universal primer before repainting.

Fill small cracks (see plaster repairs) with surface filler. Long straight cracks between plasterboard panels are extremely difficult to fill successfully.

It's better to paper the ceiling or have it professionally repaired and replastered.

It is important to leave new plaster for four weeks before applying a sealer/primer prior to painting.

Bare plaster must be sealed using a sealer/primer prior to painting. Follow the instructions on the back of the can.

If a paper on a ceiling is in a bad state, you will need to strip it and wash away all traces of adhesive. If necessary, you will have to re-paper or re-plaster before painting.

To make working on a ceiling easier, support a scaffold board between two stepladders. Alternatively, you can hire adjustable decorator's trestles or a lightweight mobile scaffold.

Be especially careful when using ladders, trestles or scaffolding *.
Please ensure you purchase the correct ladder/steps for the use required.

Class 1 are for industrial use with a weight limit of 130Kg (20 stone).
Class 3 are for domestic use with a weight limit of 95Kg (15 stone).

Remove any loose plaster with a filling knife and brush.

If possible, undercut the edges of the crack to give the filler more grip.

Dampen the crack and press in filler (a deep crack may need two separate layers).

When the filler is dry, finish off by smoothing with glasspaper.

Prepare plaster, paint or wallpaper as for ceilings, by washing with a mild detergent.

Roughen old oil paint with glasspaper to provide a good grip for emulsion paint.

To remove old wallpaper, soak it liberally with warm, soapy water or a steamer and scrape off with a stripping knife (but work 'dry' around electrical outlets). Wash all traces of old paste from the plaster.

Fill holes, cracks and blemishes with surface filler. Flexible decorators' filler is ideal for cracks around doors, windows, skirtings and between walls and the ceiling. Paint over filled areas after you have rubbed them down.

Uneven walls or wallpaper with strong colours can be covered with lining paper before painting.

Paste down loose edges on existing wallpaper with repair adhesive before painting it. Some one-coat emulsion paints will hide even strong patterns with one layer, but be prepared to have to paint two or more coats.

Mould is caused by damp or condensation and usually appears as black specks. You will have to deal with the cause of the dampness before tackling the mould.

To destroy mould, strip off contaminated wallpaper (if any) and burn it outside. Wash the wall with a solution of 1 part household bleach to 16 parts water and leave for six hours.

Scrape the mould on to newspaper and burn it. Wash again with the bleach and leave for three days to completely sterilise the wall.
Treat the wall with a fungicidal sealer before painting. If papering, use paste containing a fungicide.

New wood must be primed to make a good base for painting. Use white wood primer on softwood or hardwoods. First, though brush knots or patches of resin with knotting - a varnish that stops resin marks bleeding through the paint.

Wash paintwork with a mild detergent, working downwards, to remove dirt and grease. Rub down with fine wet or dry abrasive paper and a wipe over with a damp cloth to remove the dust before painting. Or use 'liquid sander' - a rub on, wipe off chemical treatment.

Strip peeling, lumpy or thickly built-up paint with a hot air gun or paint stripper (see Stripping paint).

After stripping, fill holes or blemishes with flexible wood filler, then smooth with fine abrasive paper before painting.

An electric hot air gun is best for flat areas like skirtings. Move the nozzle slowly back and forth about 5cm (2") from the woodwork until the paint bubbles. Keep the gun moving or you'll risk scorching the wood.

Immediately remove the paint with a scraper or shave hook. Scrape in the direction of the grain. Rub it down with wet or dry abrasive paper to finish. If you want to varnish the wood, use wire wool dipped in chemical stripper to remove last traces of paint.

If you're using power tools, don't forget: *
* Unplug them after use
* Wear protective eye goggles

Chemical strippers are better than a gun on carved and moulded areas. A gun must be used with great care or the wood will be scorched. As well as traditional liquid, you can buy paste stripper that you simply leave to harden and then peel off with the old paint.

Be safe when using paint stripper. Wear gloves and protective eye goggles. Work in a well ventilated area and never smoke. Always follow the maker's directions *.

The two important points to remember when getting metal ready to paint are:
o Remove all corrosion
o Use the right primer

First get rid of as much rust as you can with wire wool. Tackle severe corrosion with a wire brush attachment on a power drill.

Rub down old paintwork and remove loose and flaking paint.

Finish treating rust by applying rust-killing jelly, which turns the rust to harmless iron phosphate. (Use with care - the jelly will burn skin).

Lead pipework only needs a rub down with wire wool or a wire brush dipped in white spirit before painting. When buying primer check that it's the right kind for the job. There are different primers for indoor and outdoor uses, and for different metals.

Aluminium affected by corrosion should be rubbed down with wet and dry abrasive paper dipped in white spirit.