Painting & decorating
Painting and decorating ,
proper prep, primed surfaces,
a finish that holds.
Interior and exterior decorating for landlords, blocks and commercial sites, done with sanding, filling, priming and two-coat finishing, not paint-rolled-over-everything. Long-life finishes from a crew that turns up clean and leaves the site cleaner.
Two-coat finish standard · Furniture and surfaces protected · Mess removed at end of every visit.
Service overview
Painting & Decorating in Deeside & the North West, what you actually get.
What it is
Interior decorating (walls, ceilings, woodwork, doors, skirting, architrave); exterior decorating (rendered walls, masonry, soffits, fascia, fences, gates, garage doors); communal stairwells and block-corridor decorating; void property repaint-and-refresh; commercial office and unit decoration; and protective coating work on metal (railings, gates, ironwork).
Who it's for
Landlords refreshing voids between tenants to support rent or sale; letting agents getting properties remarket-ready; block managers maintaining communal stairwells, lobbies and corridors; commercial property managers redecorating offices and units; and homeowners commissioning interior or full-house repaint projects.
When you need it
Void refresh, within the 48-hour cleaning window where the scope fits; interior projects, anytime, but ventilation matters in cold weather; exterior, April through October typically (paint needs surface temperature above 8°C and dry conditions for 4+ hours after application); communal blocks, usually annual touch-ups with a deeper refresh every 3–5 years.
Why it matters
Paint isn't decoration on a managed property, it's the visible signal of how well the building is kept. A scuffed communal lobby tells every prospective tenant the freeholder doesn't care; a fresh-painted hallway tells them the opposite. The cost is small relative to the rent and service charge it supports.
What happens if you wait
The real cost of leaving it.
Cheap painting is the most expensive decorating you can buy. Paint over old paint without sanding, miss the primer, skip the second coat, and within 6 months you've got peeling skirting and a finish that needs redoing. Done properly the first time, a painted surface holds for 5–8 years.
Risks of leaving it
- Painting over damp without treating the underlying cause leaves blistered, flaking finishes within 8–12 weeks.
- Skipping filler and sanding leaves every imperfection magnified under fresh paint, and tenants notice on inspection.
- Using single-coat 'one coat' paint claims on dark or stained surfaces, almost always needs two coats anyway and the finish is patchy.
- Exterior painting in unsuitable weather (cold, damp, late in the day) prevents proper drying and bonding, paint fails on first freeze.
- Wrong paint type for the surface (emulsion on bathroom ceilings, gloss on radiators that get hot) leads to early failure and re-decoration costs.
- Decorating a void without addressing minor damage (filler nicks, picture-hook holes, scuffed skirting) shows everywhere on inspection, re-let standard isn't met.
Common mistakes we see
- Hiring cash-in-hand decorators with no insurance, drop a tin of paint on a tenant's carpet and the bill is yours.
- Booking based on lowest day-rate without checking what's included, proper prep, masking, two coats, and clean-up should all be standard.
- Choosing the wrong sheen level for the surface, silk on a textured ceiling, eggshell on heavily-used woodwork, gloss on cabinetry that no longer takes gloss.
- Using trade paint of the wrong durability rating, 'matt emulsion' on a high-traffic hallway is a 6-month finish, not a 5-year one.
- Buying retail-grade paint for commercial scope, costs more per litre and finishes worse than trade-grade equivalent.
- Not protecting floors, furniture and fittings, restoration costs after a 'small drip' often dwarf the entire decorating bill.
Our process
How we deliver, step by step.
- 1
Site visit & quote
Walk the property, agree the scope (which rooms, which surfaces, ceiling included or not), check for any prep issues (damp, lining paper, water damage) and quote in writing with itemised labour and materials.
- 2
Preparation
Furniture moved or covered, floors masked with proper dust sheets and rosin paper where needed, fittings and switches removed or masked. Walls washed where dirty, holes filled with two-part filler, sanded smooth, damaged plaster patched.
- 3
Priming
Bare wood primed; bare plaster mist-coated with thinned emulsion; stained or water-damaged areas treated with stain-blocker before topcoat. Critical step, skipping primer is the single biggest cause of finish failure.
- 4
First coat
First coat of finish applied to even out colour, fill remaining grain or texture and provide a uniform base for the second coat. Drying time observed properly before recoat, usually 2–4 hours for emulsion, 12–24 for oil-based gloss.
- 5
Second coat
Full second coat applied for a uniform, properly built-up finish that holds against cleaning, scuffing and traffic. Cuts in around frames, ceiling lines and skirting done with a brush, then rolled across the flat. Most failures come from skipping or skimping on this stage.
- 6
Clean down & sign-off
Masking removed, fittings reinstated, dust sheets folded, paint splashes cleaned, sweepings collected, waste removed. Photo sign-off pack supplied. Site left cleaner than we found it.
What you get
The benefits, in plain English.
Finishes that hold
Proper prep, primer, two coats and trade-grade paint, finishes that survive 5+ years of normal use, not 5 months.
Void-ready in 48 hours
Most void refresh paint scopes fit inside a two-day window between tenancies, paired with the end-of-tenancy clean for a one-contractor handover.
Clean on site, clean at sign-off
Floors protected, furniture covered, switches removed, waste removed at end of every visit. We work clean, not 'we'll clean up after'.
Right paint for the surface
Bathroom ceilings get bathroom paint; hallways get scuff-resistant emulsion; woodwork gets the correct sheen for the wear. The right product makes a bigger difference than the headline price.
Exterior weather windows planned
External paintwork scheduled into the right weather window, never applied in cold, damp or late-in-the-day conditions where it won't dry properly.
One contractor across trades
Filler, plaster repair, woodwork replacement and decoration all under one quote. No 'we don't do that bit' coordination problems.
The detail that matters
Painting & Decorating: materials, methods & specifications.
Decoration is half preparation, half product selection. Either side of that, the finish you actually get is decided. Here's what each surface needs and where the detail decides whether it lasts a year or eight.
Walls, emulsion grades
Standard matt emulsion is fine for low-traffic rooms (bedrooms, dining rooms) but scuffs and marks easily, wipe with a damp cloth and the colour comes off with the dirt. Scuff-resistant matt (Dulux Diamond, Crown Clean Extreme) costs marginally more and holds against cleaning and traffic for years. We default to scuff-resistant on hallways, kitchens, communal areas and rental properties as standard.
Ceilings
Standard ceiling paint (low-sheen matt white) for most rooms. Bathroom and kitchen ceilings benefit from moisture-resistant paint (Dulux Easycare Bathroom, Crown Kitchen+Bathroom) that stops mould forming in steam-condensation conditions. Skipping this on bathroom ceilings is a top-three cause of complaints we see in old decorating jobs.
Woodwork, water vs oil based
Modern water-based satinwood and eggshell (Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell, Johnstone's Aqua) gives a quick-drying, low-odour, durable finish suitable for almost all woodwork, and it doesn't yellow over time the way traditional oil-based gloss does. We use oil-based only on bare timber priming and a few specialist scenarios, defaulting to water-based for skirting, architrave, doors and frames.
Doors
Internal doors are sanded, knots primed with shellac knotting solution to stop bleed-through, given a primer-undercoat, then two finish coats of eggshell or satinwood. Hinges and ironmongery removed and rehung rather than painted around. Doors should not be painted between hinges with the door on, drying time means the door is jammed in the frame.
Communal stairwells
High-traffic surfaces need scrubbable scuff-resistant emulsion on the walls, gloss or satin on the woodwork (handrails, doors, frames), and reflective ceiling paint to maximise light return in often-windowless stairwells. Often the most cost-effective decorating job a landlord can do, supports rent, supports service charge, supports tenant satisfaction.
Voids & re-let preparation
Walls filled and sanded where damaged, skirting checked for scuff damage and touched up, doors checked for chips and re-painted where needed, ceilings inspected for stain and water marks (stain-block before topcoat). Goal is a re-let-ready property in the same 48-hour window as the cleaning.
Exterior masonry
Substrate checked for loose render, hairline cracks filled with flexible exterior filler, mortar repointed where needed, surface washed and treated for algae. Two coats of breathable exterior masonry paint (Sandtex, Dulux Weathershield, Crown Trade Smooth Masonry), never standard interior paint outside, however tempting the price difference looks.
Metal & ironwork
Gates, railings, gutters and external metal: rust treated, primed with metal-specific primer (zinc-phosphate or red oxide on heavy-rusted surfaces), then two coats of suitable topcoat. Wrong product and the rust comes back through within 12 months.
Across Deeside, Chester, Wrexham, the rest of North Wales and into the North West, one contractor for the paint and the trades around it.
We cover North Wales, Wrexham, Rhyl, Bangor, Cheshire, Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, see our full service areas or jump back to home.
Recent work
A selection of recent work completed across North Wales & the North West.
FAQ
Honest answers, before you call.
How much does it cost to decorate a room?
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A typical bedroom (ceiling, walls, woodwork, two coats with proper prep) is £350–£600 including materials. Larger reception rooms and hallways scale up. Whole-house repaints are quoted properly after a site walk, never sight-unseen by room count alone.
How long does decorating take?
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Single room typically 1–2 days including prep and drying time. A standard 2–3 bedroom house repaint typically 5–10 working days. Communal block stairwells 2–5 days depending on floors and access.
Will you move my furniture?
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Yes, we move what we can within reason, cover what we can't, and protect floors and surrounding rooms with dust sheets and rosin paper. Large or particularly delicate items we'll discuss before the day.
Can you decorate while tenants are in?
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Yes, we coordinate around tenant occupation, work room-by-room, keep mess and disruption contained, and clean at end of each day. Communication is the key, tenants briefed on the schedule in advance.
What paint brand do you use?
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Trade-grade Dulux, Crown and Johnstone's as our defaults, chosen by scope and surface. Retail-grade and budget paint avoided because the finish doesn't hold and you end up redoing it sooner.
Do you decorate exteriors?
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Yes, masonry, render, woodwork, fascia/soffit, gates, fences and metal ironwork. Weather window planned, typically April through October for the bulk of exterior scope.
How long will the finish last?
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Interior emulsion in normal use: 5–8 years on walls, 10+ on ceilings. Woodwork in good water-based eggshell: 6–10 years. Exterior masonry paint properly applied: 10–15 years. Cheap paint, poor prep, half of any of those.
Will you handle filler, minor plaster repair and damp areas first?
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Yes, filler, sanding and minor plaster patching are included in the prep. Active damp problems we'll diagnose first and treat (or recommend a treatment route) before paint, so we don't paint over a problem that returns.
Ready when you are
Free survey, fixed written price for your painting & decorating on the day we attend.
No pressure, no obligation. A senior tradesperson attends, diagnoses properly, and hands you a fixed written price on the day of the site visit.
Related services
Often paired with painting & decorating.
Cleaning Services
Communal area, end-of-tenancy and commercial cleaning across Deeside, Chester and the North West, properly inspected, properly documented, properly priced. Call 01244 529900.
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Roof leak repairs, flashings, tile replacement and flat-roof work across North Wales and the North West. Same-day temporary fixes available. Call 01244 529900.
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Qualified electricians across North Wales and the North West, EICR testing, reactive repairs, lighting, fuse boards and 24/7 emergency callouts. Call DMS on 01244 529900.
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