Decorating Victorian terrace conversion flats
Split Victorian houses are two decorating jobs in one building: the shared hall that nobody owns emotionally, and the flats where somebody very much does. Around Portsmouth and Southampton these conversions dominate whole streets, and the shared parts are almost always the part that has been left longest.
What the fabric is actually made of
Behind the paint you are usually dealing with lath and plaster, later plasterboard patches, deep moulded skirtings and layers of oil-based gloss on the joinery. Each of those wants a different approach, and the transitions between them are where poor work shows.
- Lath and plaster moves — filling needs to allow for it rather than fight it
- Old oil gloss must be keyed properly before a water-based topcoat
- Patched areas absorb differently and need suction control
The shared hall problem
Communal halls take every bag, buggy and bicycle in the building. A dead matt emulsion looks smart for a fortnight. A washable mid-sheen in a forgiving tone lasts a great deal longer, and stair strings and dado height are worth treating as a separate, harder-wearing zone.
- Escape route kept usable throughout the work
- Front door and entry phone masked rather than painted round
- Work sequenced so residents always have a dry route to their door
Working with occupied flats
Tenants keep living there. We agree which day each landing is being coated, keep tools out of the hall overnight and clean down each evening. Where a flat interior is included, we usually do it at changeover rather than around a tenancy.
3 questions we get about this building type
- Can the hall be decorated while tenants come and go?
- Yes. We work in sections, keep the stairs safe and dry, and time the coating of each landing so nobody is trapped upstairs waiting for paint to dry.
- Do you strip old gloss from the joinery?
- Where it is sound we key and recoat. Where it is chipped, yellowed and built up over decades, taking it back is the honest answer — and we will say which you are dealing with.
- Who normally instructs this work?
- Usually a freeholder, managing agent or the residents jointly. We are used to quoting in a way that can be circulated and agreed by several parties.
Next step
Send photographs of the hall and stairwell and we will price the communal decoration as its own scope.
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