Decorating a Georgian townhouse
Georgian townhouses reward patience and punish shortcuts. Tall stairwells, original sashes, shutters and cornice detail all take time, and the fabric often prefers a breathable approach to a plastic film.
Access is the first conversation
Three and four storey stairwells cannot be reached from a stepladder. Proper internal access — towers or a stair-legged system — is the difference between a clean line at the cornice and a compromise everyone can see from the hall.
- Internal access equipment specified before the price is agreed
- External elevations usually need scaffold or a MEWP
- Shutters and sashes often removed, worked on and refitted
Breathability and the older fabric
Where original lime plaster and soft masonry survive, trapping moisture behind a modern impermeable film causes more harm than the tired paintwork ever did. We identify what we are dealing with before specifying, rather than defaulting to whatever is on the van.
Detail work that takes the time it takes
Cornice, dado, panelled doors, shutter boxes and staircase spindles are all hand work. It is slower, and it is the reason a townhouse quote is not a square-metre rate.
- Original ironmongery removed, bagged and refitted
- Sash cords and running surfaces checked before repainting
- Colour sampled in the actual light of each room
3 questions we get about this building type
- Do you work on listed townhouses?
- Yes, with the caveat that consents are the owner's responsibility. We work to whatever specification the consent requires and will not substitute products without agreement.
- Can sashes be repainted without being taken out?
- Often, yes, if they run reasonably. Where cords have failed or the timber needs repair, taking them out is more efficient than working round them.
- How long does a whole townhouse take?
- Longer than most people expect — detail work, access moves and drying times all add up. We give a room-by-room programme rather than one lump figure.
Other building types
1930s semi-detached houses
Owners of inter-war semis planning a full internal or external redecoration and wondering what always needs attention.
Seafront apartment blocks
Block managers on exposed coastal elevations budgeting for realistic maintenance rather than one-off repaints.
Business-park office suites
Tenants and landlords refreshing a suite between leases or around a working team.
Planning a commercial painting or decorating project?
Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.