Decorating
Preparation
Preparation is the part of decorating nobody sees and everybody benefits from. It usually takes more of the time than painting itself, and it is where we are least willing to cut corners.
Surveying the surface
Before anything is specified we find out what we are painting. A damp cloth reveals soft distemper; a pad of methylated spirit rubbed on an inconspicuous area softens most water-based paint but not oil-based; a tape test shows whether existing paint is holding; a moisture meter checks plaster and timber. Where old paint may contain lead, we treat it as such or have it tested.
Washing and degreasing
Paint does not hold well on grease, grime or nicotine. Kitchens, handrails, door edges and the wall around light switches are washed with a suitable cleaner, such as a sugar soap solution, then rinsed with clean water and left to dry.
Keying and filling
Glossy or sound existing paint is abraded to give the new coating a key. Holes and cracks are filled with a product suited to their depth and the surface — fine surface filler for shallow defects, a deep-fill or two-part filler for larger ones — and sanded flush. Joints between plaster and woodwork are sealed with flexible caulk.
Priming
Bare timber is knotted and primed; new plaster receives a mist coat or a dedicated primer; water stains, smoke and nicotine are sealed with a stain-blocking primer once the cause has been dealt with; bare metal gets a metal primer. Each primer is chosen to suit the coating system that follows it.
Dust control
Sanders are connected to M-class extraction, or H-class where lead may be present, and rooms are sealed with dust screens. Where old paint may contain lead, we use wet abrasion instead of dry sanding. Our note on why preparation matters explains the reasoning further, and period properties covers lead paint.
Common questions
Why does preparation take so long?
Because every stage has to be done in order and allowed to dry, and each is only as good as the one before it. A room with sound surfaces needs relatively little; one with failing paint, cracks and bare timber needs a great deal more. The survey tells us which, and the quotation reflects it.
Can preparation be skipped on walls that look fine?
Even sound walls need cleaning, a light sand and filling of small defects, or the new paint will show them and may not hold as well. Where surfaces are genuinely in good order the preparation is lighter, and the quotation says so.
More decorating
Discussing preparation?
Tell us about the property and the rooms involved. We will visit, look closely at the surfaces and prepare a written quotation.
Request a quotation