Home | Everybody's doing it! | Your questions answered
I’ve just moved into a house with painted banisters. I really want to show off the original wood so I’ve been trying to strip off the paint by sanding and scraping, but it’s taking forever. How can I 
speed things up?
Lee says:
This is a very timely query as Polycell has just launched Less Mess Paint Stripper. It’s a quick and effortless alternative to scraping and sanding that can strip up to 15 layers of paint in matter of hours. Once applied to the wooden surface, it works by lifting each layer of paint, leaving a dry crust that can be brushed off immediately. It’s that simple. If I were you I’d paint it on before you go to bed, so all you need to do when you get up in the morning is brush off the crusty paint and vacuum it up.
My spare room is in a real state. The walls are covered in gouges that have been there since I moved in. I’ve never done any DIY and I can’t afford to call in the professionals, so do you think a lick of 
paint would do the trick?
Cherie says:
Definitely not. It's so important to invest time doing the preparation before you paint or it could look worse than when you started. Don’t worry - it needn't be hard work or time consuming, as there are quick and easy solutions on the market that can help. I'd suggest you try a product like Polycell Magic Polyfilla, which changes colour as it dries so that you know when it's ready to sand and paint, and you don't risk undoing all your work by prodding the hole when it's still wet! Once it’s dry and any rough areas have been sanded, I recommend wiping them down with sugar soap to rid of excess dirt and grease before giving them a lick of paint.
I’m updating my kids’ bedrooms and have noticed that there are lots hairline cracks over the walls. I’ve tried painting over them but they keep re-appearing and I don’t have the time to fill in each 
crack individually. Do you have any tips on how to get rid of them?
Lou says:
I know from personal experience how much of a pain hairline cracks can be. Just like you, I thought that painting over them would be the end of the problem, but I was wrong. Luckily a friend of mine recommended BaseCoat Complete. It couldn’t be quicker or easier as you simply roll it on like paint. Not only does it cover the hairline cracks up to 1.5mm wide, but it also prevents them from reappearing. Now comes the fun part of choosing colours and accessories. Happy hunting!
We're about to put our house on the market, but have spotted a few small holes and cracks in the walls of our hallway. We’re worried they may put off prospective buyers but aren’t sure how to get rid of 
them.
Val says:
First impressions are crucial, so it’s essential that your hallway is in tip top condition when your viewers arrive. If there’s not much work to be done, you won’t need a big tub of filler, so I suggest you try a product called Polyfilla Stick. It works just like a glue stick as you apply it straight from the pack. It's really easy to use as you simply rub it over your small holes and hairline cracks, wipe it with a damp cloth, then leave it to dry.
I recently noticed a dark patch on my ceiling, and on closer inspection I discovered it was damp. Even though we’ve now fixed our leaky roof and the damp has dried out, we’ve been left with a 
stain that keeps coming back, no matter how many times I paint over it. What can I do?
Lee says:
Well done for dealing with the leaky roof, which means the biggest job is out of the way. Now all you need to do is treat the dried area with a product that can seal in the damp and block the stain for good. Try Polycell Damp Seal Aerosol which you simply spray on, leave treated area to dry for a good 5-6 hours, then it’s ready to paint and you can say goodbye to that stain for ever.
The shelving in my home office has fallen down and left two very big and ugly holes in the wall. I could just re-fill the holes, 
but ideally want to put the shelves back up. Any suggestions?
Cherie says:
If you're anything like me, you'll need those shelves as an extra bit of storage space, so you should definitely put them back up. I recently had a similar problem with an old curtain rail that was falling down and I found Polycell Plug It was a great help. All you do is knead the putty-like substance in your fingers, and when it turns from dark blue to lighter grey you plug it into the hole. You insert the screw half way to make a thread, then an hour later (when it's dried) you simply use the thread you've created to screw in your original shelving unit.
No drilling, no wall plugs, easy! You can then stack away loads of stuff up there as it's super strength will allow it to bear loads of up to 20kg. I’d also advise using a spirit level to check that your screws are level – I learnt that after I put up my first set of shelves!
