Preparation is the job
Anyone can roll a wall. What separates a five-year finish from a one-year finish is what happens before the first coat: filling and sanding, caulking the gaps where walls meet woodwork, sealing patches so they do not flash through, and mist-coating new plaster with a thinned coat that soaks in rather than sits on top.
When a cheaper quote comes in well under ours, this is almost always the difference. Preparation is invisible in the photograph and obvious eighteen months later.
What is included
- Floors and furniture sheeted, sockets and ironmongery masked
- Filling, sanding, caulking and spot-priming
- Mist coat on any new plaster, thinned correctly for the surface
- Two full coats to walls and ceilings
- Woodwork rubbed down and repainted, edges cut in by hand rather than taped and hoped
- Cleared, swept and walked through with you before we invoice
Halls, stairs and landings
This is the job most decorators quote nervously, because it is three storeys of wall reached from a stairwell and there is nowhere to stand. It needs proper access equipment, and it takes longer than the square metres suggest. We price it as its own job rather than as rooms added together.
Paint we use
Trade paint, bought at trade rates and listed at cost on your quote. If you want a specific brand or a colour matched to something you already have, tell us at the visit and we will price it that way. If you would rather buy your own, we will tell you exactly what to get and how much.
What it costs
Starting figures, fixed in writing after a free visit. Materials at trade rates, listed at cost. Full price list.
Questions we get asked about this
Do you supply the paint?
Yes, at trade rates and listed at cost on the quote. If you would rather buy your own we will tell you exactly what to get and how much of it.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
Sometimes, if it is well stuck and not textured or vinyl. More often it is better off, because painted paper lifts at the seams and then you are paying twice. We will say which at the visit.
How long does a room take?
A standard bedroom with walls, ceiling and woodwork is usually two days including preparation. Halls, stairs and landings run to three or four.
Do you do exteriors?
Yes — masonry walls, soffits and fascias, doors and windows. Exterior work is weather-dependent and we book it with that in mind rather than promising a date we cannot hold.
Will you move furniture?
We will move what two people can move safely and sheet the rest in the middle of the room. Anything fragile or very heavy is better cleared before we arrive.
