Painting and decorating guides
89 guides covering why finishes fail, which systems we specify, how a job is planned, and what changes when the building is a rental, a school, a hotel or a listed property.
Problems & repairs
Why a finish failed, what actually fixes it, and how to stop it coming back.
Flaking paint on exterior render
Diagnose why masonry paint is peeling off render and choose a repair route.
Peeling paint in bathrooms
Stop bathroom and shower-room paint blistering and lifting after redecoration.
Mould and black spot
Treat black spot mould properly before redecorating so it does not return.
Nicotine and smoke staining
Stop nicotine or smoke damage bleeding through fresh paint.
Water stains on ceilings
Cover a ceiling water stain so it never ghosts back through.
Cracked plaster and hairline cracks
Repair recurring hairline cracks so they don't reopen after decorating.
Blown plaster and damp patches
Decide whether damp-affected plaster can be decorated or has to come off.
Paint not sticking to old gloss
Get new paint to bond to old oil gloss on doors, skirtings and frames.
Rusty railings and gates
Stop rust bleeding back through repainted metalwork.
Brush marks and roller stipple
Achieve a flat, mark-free finish on walls and joinery.
Yellowing white gloss
Stop white woodwork going yellow and choose a non-yellowing system.
Lifting wallpaper seams
Fix lifting wallpaper seams and stop them reopening.
Chipped painted cabinets
Repair or refinish chipped painted kitchen cabinet doors.
Graffiti and anti-graffiti coatings
Remove graffiti from a commercial frontage and prevent repeat damage.
Lead paint safety
Understand the risk from old lead paint and how to have it dealt with safely.
Asbestos and textured coatings
Understand the asbestos risk in old textured coatings and how to redecorate over them safely.
Sash window restoration
Restore and paint sash windows while maintaining their movement and timber health.
Materials & systems
Straight comparisons of coatings, systems and finishes, what we specify and why.
Water-based vs oil-based paint
Choose between water-based and oil-based systems for trim and joinery.
Spray vs brush and roller
Decide whether a job should be sprayed or applied conventionally.
Eggshell vs satin vs gloss
Pick the right sheen level for walls, trim and high-traffic surfaces.
Paint for high-traffic corridors
Specify a wall finish that survives trolleys, bags and constant cleaning.
Anti-mould paint systems
Understand what fungicidal coatings do and don't solve.
Intumescent paint explained
Understand what intumescent coatings are and when they're required.
Masonry paint vs silicone coating
Choose between conventional masonry paint and silicone render coatings.
Floor paint systems
Choose a floor coating for a workshop, plant room or unit that will actually survive.
Tape and jointing vs skim
Decide between taped and jointed plasterboard or a full plaster skim.
Wall coverings vs paint
Choose between contract wall coverings and a painted finish.
Metal primers and DTM coatings
Specify the correct primer and topcoat for steel, galvanised and aluminium.
Low-VOC paint for occupied buildings
Keep a building in use during decoration by controlling odour and emissions.
2K lacquer vs water-based cabinet paint
Choose the right coating for a sprayed kitchen or furniture refinish.
Durability and washability
Choose a paint system for rentals that survives tenant use.
Interior vs exterior paint
Understand why interior and exterior paints are formulated differently and why they cannot be swapped.
Paint sheen levels
Choose the right sheen level for walls, woodwork and metal based on use and finish quality.
Wallpapering tips and when to choose paper
Decide between wallpaper and paint and prepare a wall properly for hanging.
Hanging wallpaper in commercial spaces
Specify and install commercial wallcoverings correctly, including fire rating and hygiene requirements.
Heritage and conservation systems
Understand what changes when decorating a listed building or property in a conservation area.
Lime plaster and breathable paint
Choose the right breathable paint system for a solid wall or older property.
Balustrade spraying
Achieve a factory quality finish on balustrades through professional spraying.
Process & planning
How a decorating job runs, what drives cost and programme, and how to prepare.
What drives decorating cost
Understand what a decorating quote is actually made of before comparing prices.
How long decorating takes
Plan a realistic programme for a decorating project.
What to expect on day one
Know exactly what happens when decorators arrive.
Preparing your home
Get a home ready so decorating runs faster and cleaner.
Out-of-hours decorating
Arrange decorating that happens outside business hours.
Phased decorating
Redecorate a building that cannot close.
Dust control and protection
Keep dust and damage out of a live space during decoration.
Choosing colours and specification
Choose colours and finishes that work in the actual space.
Snagging and handover
Get decoration signed off cleanly at handover.
How often to repaint
Plan a sensible redecoration cycle for a home or building.
Exterior weather windows
Time exterior decorating around British weather.
Access, scaffolding and MEWPs
Plan safe access for high-level decorating work.
Specifications and tenders
Write or review a decorating specification that can be priced fairly.
Cost between tenancies
Understand what shapes the bill for a between-tenancy refresh.
Void turnaround timescales
Know how long a void decoration job realistically takes.
Commercial cost drivers
Understand the cost drivers behind a commercial decorating quote.
Briefing a contractor
Write a brief that gets accurate commercial decorating quotes.
Decorating an occupied office
Repaint an office while staff keep working in it.
Commercial redecoration intervals
Set a sensible redecoration interval for a commercial building.
What a quote should include
Compare decorating quotes properly and spot what has been left out.
Cost to paint a house
Understand realistic cost drivers before requesting a quote to paint a whole house.
Commercial cost per square metre
Understand how commercial decorating is measured and priced so quotes can be compared properly.
Preparing walls for painting
Understand the full preparation sequence that determines the quality of a finished paint job.
Choosing a commercial colour scheme
Build a defensible colour scheme for an office, retail or public space.
Colour psychology in workplace decorating
Understand the practical effects of colour on light, space and behaviour at work.
Airless spraying explained
Understand how airless spraying works and where it delivers a better result than brushing.
When brushing beats spraying
Understand when hand finishing gives a better practical result than spray equipment.
Commercial spray painting
Understand when to use spray painting for commercial properties.
Choosing a commercial decorator
Select a reliable commercial decorating partner for business premises.
Staircase refurbishment
Refurbish a staircase with durable finishes while maintaining access for residents.
Exterior commercial decorating
Understand the logistics and requirements of a commercial exterior repainting project.
Property types & sectors
What changes when the building is a rental, a school, a hotel or a listed property.
Landlords and rentals
Keep a rental presentable between tenancies without over-spending.
HMOs and shared houses
Decorate a shared house so it survives heavy communal use.
Offices and workplaces
Refresh a working office without displacing staff.
Retail and shopfronts
Refresh a shop or shopfront without losing trading days.
Schools and education
Redecorate a school inside the available holiday windows.
Care homes
Redecorate a care setting with residents in place.
Hotels and hospitality
Refurbish hotel rooms and public areas without closing.
Period and listed property
Decorate an older or listed building without damaging it.
New build and developers
Get new-build decoration through handover cleanly.
Industrial units and workshops
Coat an industrial unit so it survives real working conditions.
Gyms and leisure
Decorate a gym or leisure space that takes constant heavy use.
Holiday lets and serviced accommodation
Keep a holiday let photographing well and turning over fast.
Wear and tear vs damage
Distinguish fair wear and tear from tenant damage for deposit purposes.
Planned redecoration cycles
Plan a recurring redecoration cycle for a managed block.
Decorating a retail unit before opening
Plan and sequence decorating within a tight shopfit programme ahead of a trading deadline.
Office refurbishment planning
Sequence decoration correctly inside a wider office refit.
Office dilapidations
Meet a dilapidations schedule without over-specifying the handback.
Landlord decorating budgets
Plan a multi-year decorating budget across a rental portfolio.
Tenant turnaround specification
Write a repeatable paint specification for void turnarounds.
Industrial unit painting
Plan the decoration and maintenance of an industrial or trade unit.
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.