Painter & Decorator in North & North West London — Preparation, Woodwork & Wallpaper

What do you need?

Choose the job. Each one says what to send, and whether to call.

• Walls and woodwork

  Say which rooms, and photograph any flaking paint or stained plaster.

  Send this in a brief

• Wallpaper

  Photograph the wall and say whether the existing paper is to be stripped.

  Send this in a brief

Define rooms, elements and the required finish separately

A painting and decorating brief should list each room, elevation or exterior element and state whether walls, ceilings, woodwork, metalwork, radiators, doors or wallpaper are included. Record the desired visual outcome and whether the property remains occupied. A colour reference does not define preparation, coating system or number of repaired defects. Photographs should show whole surfaces in daylight and close views of peeling, staining, cracking or failed joints. A room schedule makes competing proposals comparable and stops a general “redecorate throughout” request from concealing different assumptions about preparation and protection.

Inspect the existing coating and substrate before specification

Paint performance depends on what lies beneath it. The survey should note plaster, lining paper, timber, metal, masonry or previously painted surfaces; adhesion; moisture staining; powdering; movement; filler repairs and incompatible coatings. Loose or hollow plaster, active leaks and persistent damp need their causes addressed before decoration. Small trial areas can help establish preparation and compatibility, but no photograph proves every concealed layer. The accepted method should distinguish washing, scraping, sanding, filling, stabilising, priming and local repair rather than treating all labour before the finish coat as an unspecified allowance.

Treat old lead paint as a safety question before disturbance

Older decorated surfaces can contain lead, particularly on timber and metal. HSE guidance explains that work which creates lead dust or fumes can expose workers and requires suitable assessment and control. Do not dry-sand, burn off or aggressively disturb an unknown coating merely to speed preparation. The work plan should consider the age and condition of the finish, the proposed disturbance, testing or specialist advice where appropriate, containment, cleaning and waste handling. Lead controls are separate from ordinary colour selection, and a landing page cannot determine coating content from the property style or postcode.

Choose products through COSHH and surface requirements

Primers, fillers, paints, stains, varnishes, strippers and cleaning products can present different inhalation, skin, fire and environmental hazards. HSE advises identifying hazardous substances from labels and safety data sheets, assessing exposure and preventing or controlling it. Product choice should also follow the substrate, exposure, sheen, washability and manufacturer system. A premium brand name alone does not establish suitability or guarantee colour under every light. The accepted schedule should identify product families, colour references, sample approval, ventilation and storage arrangements without replacing job-specific COSHH controls with generic protective-equipment wording.

Resolve wallpaper, stains and cracks before finishing

Wallpaper installation needs a stable, prepared background, a stated pattern and batch, enough material for matching, and agreement on removal of existing coverings. Water stains should not simply be sealed until the moisture source and dryness are understood. Recurrent or widening cracks can indicate movement beyond a decorator’s repair scope and may need building or structural assessment. The proposal should say which defects receive local filling, lining, stain blocking or specialist referral. Decorative making good can improve a sound surface; it should not be presented as remediation for continuing leaks, damp, loose plaster or structural movement.

Plan exterior decoration around access and fabric

Exterior windows, doors, render, metalwork and other elevations require inspection of access, substrate condition, failed joints, exposed end grain and adjacent roof or drainage defects. Safe scaffold, tower or other access must suit the accepted task; a ladder is not a universal working platform. Weather and drying conditions affect application, so dates should be confirmed through the programme rather than guaranteed from the enquiry. Visible changes at a listed property or in a designated setting may require an address-specific consent check. Repair extent, access and coating system should be settled before exterior finish expectations are agreed.

Protect occupants, possessions and completed work

The room plan should identify furniture moves, floor and joinery protection, work zones, ventilation, daily reinstatement and access to kitchens, bathrooms or bedrooms. Children, pets and people with sensitivities may need additional separation from wet coatings, tools and dust. Protection should remain until the relevant work is dry enough for the next trade, but drying and cure vary by product and conditions. Agree who removes fittings, curtains and fragile items and who reconnects electrical accessories. A decorator should not disturb fixed wiring, gas equipment or suspect hazardous material as an informal extension of the painting scope.

Compare decorating quotations by preparation and acceptance

A useful quotation separates access, protection, stripping, repairs, preparation, primers, finish coats, wallpaper, woodwork, metalwork, products, waste and exclusions for each area. It should state client-supplied materials, sample or colour-approval points and the treatment of defects discovered after stripping. Programme assumptions follow access, drying, other trades and the accepted product system rather than a fixed room duration. Handover should review the work under reasonable lighting, record incomplete substrate defects or touch-ups, identify leftover labelled materials where agreed and document the snagging position without promising that paint conceals every historic imperfection.

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