In depth
Everything worth knowing before you book.
The details a salesperson skips. Skim it, or read every word, both are useful.
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Interior decoration, walls, ceilings and woodwork
Walls get cracks raked out with a stripping knife, filled in two coats of Toupret or Polyfilla deep-fill, sanded flush, then mist-coated (on new plaster) or stain-blocked (over old marks) before two top coats in matt, eggshell or silk emulsion. Ceilings get the same prep plus a stain-block on any water marks. Woodwork is denibbed, filled, caulked at every junction, primed where needed, and finished in two coats of water-based satinwood or eggshell, modern water-based finishes don't yellow like old oil-based ones.
External painting and timber care
External work needs the right weather window, minimum 10°C, no rain forecast for 24 hours, surfaces dry. Bare timber is sanded back to sound material, treated with end-grain sealer at joints, primed with a flexible exterior primer, undercoated and top-coated in two coats of Sadolin, Sikkens or Dulux Weathershield. Render and masonry get a stabilising solution on chalky surfaces, then two coats of breathable masonry paint (Sandtex Trade, Dulux Weathershield, or Farrow & Ball exterior masonry for heritage colours).
Wallpapering, feature walls, full rooms, hangings
Walls lined first with 1000-grade or 1400-grade lining paper hung cross-wise to give a dead-flat surface, non-negotiable for any pattern paper. Paste applied to wall or paper depending on product (paste-the-wall papers, traditional paste-the-paper, vinyls). Pattern matched at every drop, butt-jointed cleanly, seams rolled with a seam roller. Murals and panoramic papers ordered to room measurements and hung as a single sequenced panel.
Period properties and traditional finishes
Pre-1919 properties often need breathable finishes, lime-wash, distemper or breathable mineral paints (Earthborn, Auro), to allow solid walls to release moisture. Using modern plastic paints traps moisture and causes flaking, salt staining and damp problems. We work to Building Conservation best practice for listed and period properties, including hand-painting sash windows, restoring shellac-finished joinery, and re-decorating cornices and ceiling roses without losing detail.
Pre-sale and rental refresh
Letting agents and estate agents repeatedly tell us that fresh, neutral decoration adds more perceived value per pound spent than any other pre-sale work. Full house repaints in a contemporary neutral (Wevet, Slipper Satin, Cornforth White) typically take 5–7 working days for a 3-bed, and lift photo and viewing impact dramatically. Rental refresh between tenancies is usually 2–3 days with hard-wearing scrubbable paints (Dulux Diamond Matt, Crown Clean Extreme).
