Painting & Decorating

A standard three-bedroom flat takes 3–5 days, or 6–7 days if the walls need skimming and filling.

By the brand and type of paint, the number of coats and the surface preparation needed.

Silk has a soft sheen and can be wiped clean; matt emulsion is flat and more economical.

With water-based paints it fades within 24–48 hours.

Yes. Paintwork within the scope of the written quote is guaranteed for one year from handover.

The trade uses four surface levels, and the difference between two quotes usually hides right here. Q1: joints filled only — for surfaces that will be tiled or never seen. Q2: the standard level, adequate for matt paint and wallpaper. Q3: joints widened and the whole face skimmed — needed for silk, satin and any wall catching raking light. Q4: full skim to the highest flatness — required for gloss, metallic finishes and rooms with large windows. Leave a long wall parallel to a window at Q2 and every joint will show in daylight.

Two topcoats over primer is the standard, and it finishes most jobs. Three are needed when going from a dark colour to a light one, with saturated colours (reds, yellows and oranges cover poorly), and over stained or patchy substrates. One coat is never enough; the difference shows within the first year under wear and cleaning. The quote should state the number of coats — without it, comparing prices is meaningless.

On new drywall and new plaster, yes. The reason is absorbency: joint compound and board face drink at different rates, so paint applied directly leaves the joints visible as a sheen difference — called flashing, and a second coat does not hide it. Primer equalises the suction, improves adhesion and reduces topcoat consumption. On sound, previously painted surfaces primer can sometimes be skipped, though we still recommend it when the colour is changing.

Drywall jointing compound must be fully dry — in a ventilated room usually a few days, longer with more coats. Wet plaster and screed take far longer, measured in weeks. Paint applied early traps moisture beneath the film, and the result surfaces within months as blistering, peeling and staining. We schedule around this; shortening it under handover pressure means paying for the same work twice within a year.

Partly. What is sold as washable tolerates surface dirt being lifted with a damp cloth; it does not tolerate scrubbing. Washability rises with sheen: matt is the least, silk mid-range, satin the best. But sheen also reveals surface defects, which is why choosing satin means the wall has to be prepared to Q3. In high-contact areas like children's rooms and hallways, silk strikes a good balance.

No, and painting over it is the most common mistake — the mould returns in the same place within months. The source has to be found first: a thermal bridge in an external wall, a plumbing leak, failed roof or balcony waterproofing, or simply inadequate ventilation. No paint applied before the source is resolved will last. Once it is fixed we clean and treat the surface, and where a thermal bridge is involved we line that area with insulation board. When we see damp at survey we say so in writing.

Yes. We agree the scope in writing before starting, send dated progress photographs at each stage, and can hold a video call on site whenever you want to see something specific. Keys are handed over against a written record, and the flat is cleaned and photographed again at handover.

After the survey you receive a written scope listing the rooms and areas covered, the system chosen for each, the brand and product of the boards, profiles and insulation, the surface finish level, and the number of working days. Anything not on that list is not in the price, which is what stops the mid-project additions that make contractor quotes unreliable. Nothing is charged beyond the written scope without your approval.

Ceilings and partitions leave the space usable as soon as the crew finishes. Painting needs longer: the film cures over roughly a week, and the smell in a ventilated flat clears within two to three days. If a flat is being prepared for tenants, plan on a few extra days after handover for airing and cleaning rather than scheduling a viewing for the day of completion.