Preparation decides the finish
A good paint job is decided before colour goes on. We rake out and re-skim damaged plaster, prepare woodwork properly and make sure surfaces are sound before decoration starts, so the finish lasts.
Kingston upon Thames, London KT2 6QW quotes@lianconstruction.co.uk
Plastering, painting and decorating
Painting & Decorating London — Plastering, Painting and Finishing
Lian Construction provides plastering, painting and decorating for London homes, rentals and commercial premises. We re-skim tired walls and ceilings, prepare surfaces properly and finish with a clean, durable decoration that is ready to hand over. Work ranges from a single room refresh to a full internal redecoration alongside plaster repairs, and we cover properties from Victorian terraces with original cornicing through to ex-council flats, matching preparation and paint system to what the building actually needs rather than the same approach on every job.
Service overview
Painting and decorating in London
For occupied homes and rental turnarounds
We work cleanly in occupied properties and can turn around rental redecoration quickly between tenancies, including patch plastering after leak repairs or general wear.
What affects the cost of a painting and decorating job
Price is driven mainly by three things: how much preparation the surfaces need, how much area there is to cover, and access. A room with sound, previously painted plaster that just needs a colour change costs a lot less than one where ceilings have cracked, walls are blown in patches, or old wallpaper has to come off first. Re-skimming adds material cost and drying time before any paint goes on, so jobs involving plaster repair are quoted as combined plastering and decorating work rather than decoration priced on its own. Ceiling height matters too. Victorian and Edwardian terraces with high ceilings, coving and cornicing take longer to cut in cleanly and often need scaffold towers or podium steps rather than a stepladder, which adds labour time compared with a flat-ceilinged ex-council flat of the same floor area. Colour changes affect price as well, since going from a dark or strongly pigmented existing colour to white or pale neutral usually needs a stain-blocking undercoat and an extra topcoat to get even coverage, whereas a like-for-like refresh in a similar tone may only need two coats. Woodwork is priced separately from walls and ceilings, since skirting, doors, architrave and staircases usually need sanding back and a proper undercoat rather than a straight top coat over old gloss, which never bonds well. Occupied properties add a little time too, since furniture, flooring and fittings have to be moved and protected rather than working in an empty shell, and commercial premises sometimes need work carried out outside trading hours. We always inspect before quoting rather than pricing off a phone description or photos, because two rooms of identical size can need very different amounts of prep, and getting that wrong at quote stage causes disputes later. On period conversions, stairwells and communal hallways add cost disproportionate to their floor area, since they're often double height, awkward to access safely, and shared with neighbours who need advance notice before scaffold towers or ladders go up in a shared space. If the property is listed or sits in a conservation area, external colour changes can be restricted by planning conditions, so it's worth checking with the local authority before committing to a new render or masonry colour rather than finding out after the job is quoted. Floor protection is another cost that's easy to overlook: in a fitted-out home with carpets, floorboards or new flooring already down, proper dust sheeting and edge protection takes longer to set up and take down than in a stripped-back refurbishment, and we factor that into the day rate accordingly rather than treating it as incidental.
Paint systems and materials we use
The right paint system depends on the surface, not just the colour chosen. New or freshly re-skimmed plaster is porous and needs a mist coat, a watered-down first coat of emulsion, so the topcoat doesn't dry patchy or flash in different sheens once the wall has fully cured, which normally takes several weeks depending on room conditions. On solid-wall Victorian and Edwardian properties with no cavity, we often recommend a breathable, mineral-based or vapour-permeable emulsion rather than a standard vinyl paint, since trapping moisture behind an impermeable film is a common cause of peeling, bubbling and mould on older external and party walls. For woodwork, doors and staircases we use a proper primer, undercoat and topcoat sequence rather than painting straight over old gloss, because adhesion fails faster on unprepared, glossy or previously oil-based surfaces, and a water-based satinwood or eggshell now often replaces traditional oil gloss for a harder, quicker-drying finish with less yellowing over time. Kitchens and bathrooms get a wipeable, higher-sheen finish such as eggshell or satin on walls where moisture, steam and grease are a factor, while ceilings and low-traffic rooms are usually matt or matt emulsion, which hides minor surface imperfections better than a sheen finish. We work with trade ranges from suppliers such as Dulux Trade, Crown Trade and Johnstone's rather than retail tins, as trade paint generally covers better, holds colour more consistently across large areas and stands up to more washing without burnishing. We're happy to work to a specific colour or finish the client has already chosen and matched, or advise on suitable options and sheen levels during the quote stage. Where a wall has an actual watermark rather than just a dull patch, we use a dedicated shellac or oil-based stain block rather than a standard water-based primer, since water-based products can reactivate old tannin and nicotine staining and pull it straight back through the new topcoat. Application method varies by job too: large, flat areas such as ceilings or rendered exteriors are often quicker and more even sprayed, while cutting in around coving, window reveals and skirting is still done by brush for control, with roller work reserved for open wall areas. For occupied homes, especially where people are sleeping on site during the work, we favour low-odour, low-VOC trade paints that dry with less lingering smell, which matters more in a bedroom being redecorated overnight than in an empty investment property.
Common problems we find in London properties
London's housing stock throws up a fairly predictable set of decorating problems. In Victorian and Edwardian terraces with solid brick walls, damp staining on external and chimney breast walls is common, and painting straight over it without addressing the cause just means the stain bleeds back through within weeks, so we use a stain-blocking primer where the underlying damp has already been resolved by someone else rather than as a substitute for actually fixing it. Ex-council flats and 1960s-70s conversions often still have woodchip wallpaper or a textured coating hiding under later layers of paint, and this has to be stripped or skimmed over rather than painted directly, as fresh paint doesn't disguise the texture and repeated painting over it just makes eventual removal harder. Many older ceilings have artex, and if it needs removing rather than being skimmed over or worked around, that surface has to be checked for asbestos content before anyone starts sanding or scraping it, given textured coatings applied before the early 1980s can contain it, and any suspect material needs proper testing and safe handling rather than being disturbed on assumption. Nicotine and old smoke staining will bleed straight through ordinary emulsion within days unless it's sealed first with a dedicated stain block. In rental properties and older stock generally we regularly find blown or cracked plaster around window reveals, chimney breasts and ceiling roses from historic leaks or building movement, which is why plastering and decorating are usually priced and carried out together on period properties rather than treated as separate, unrelated jobs. Hairline cracking along the junction between ceiling and wall, or running along the length of a ceiling, is another common finding in Victorian houses with timber joists, caused by seasonal movement and shrinkage rather than any structural fault, and it's usually filled and scrimmed rather than fully re-skimmed unless it keeps reopening. Bathrooms without decent extraction are a recurring problem too, since paint applied over a wall that's regularly damp from showering without ventilation will bubble and peel within a year or two regardless of the paint quality used, so we'll flag a ventilation issue before decorating over it rather than guaranteeing a finish that condensation is likely to undermine. Patchy previous DIY repairs, where a different plaster mix or a filler was used to skim over a small area, often show through paint as a slightly different texture or sheen once dry, and telling a client about that risk before starting saves an awkward conversation at handover.
How decorating fits around other trades and the wider programme
Decoration is normally one of the last trades on site, and getting the sequencing right avoids redoing finished work. Plastering needs time to dry out fully before painting, typically around a week per coat of skim in good conditions and considerably longer in cold, damp or poorly ventilated rooms, so we won't rush a mist coat onto plaster that's still curing, as it leads to visible flashing, blistering or a patchy sheen appearing weeks later once the wall has fully dried out. On refurbishment projects we coordinate with the other trades on site so decoration happens after first-fix electrics, plumbing and any flooring subfloor work, but before carpets, engineered wood or other delicate flooring goes down, since paint spatter, sanding dust and plaster dust are far easier to manage before finishes are laid rather than after. Where a job involves knocking through a wall, removing a chimney breast, or fitting a new ceiling after water damage, we usually pick up the plastering and decorating once the structural work and first fix are signed off, so the client isn't managing separate contractors and separate access visits for each stage of what is really one project. For occupied homes we plan the work room by room so at least part of the property stays usable throughout rather than the whole place being out of action at once, and for landlords managing a turnaround between tenancies we can compress the overall programme by running plastering, drying time and decoration back to back with minimal gaps, rather than leaving the property empty and unlet for longer than necessary between each trade. We also work around trades finishing at the same time as decoration starts, such as electricians who need to remove and refit socket and switch plates around freshly painted walls, or kitchen fitters where it's usually better to paint the walls before units go in rather than cutting in awkwardly around finished cabinetry afterwards. On jobs needing external scaffold, we coordinate access with the scaffolding contractor so the tower goes up once and covers both any exterior repair work and the decoration, rather than two separate hire periods. Before handover we do a final snag walk-through with the client to pick up any missed cutting-in, touch-ups or marks left by other trades during the final stages, so the property is genuinely ready rather than needing a follow-up visit for small items.
Signs to look for
Do you need painting and decorating?
- Ceilings or walls show a brown or yellow tide mark left behind from a past leak that was never redecorated over properly.
- Plaster sounds hollow when tapped, or has visible cracking, bulging or crumbling patches near window reveals and chimney breasts.
- Nicotine or old smoke staining keeps bleeding back through freshly applied emulsion within days of a previous redecoration attempt.
- Rooms still have old woodchip wallpaper or dated textured artex ceilings that need addressing before a sale or new tenancy.
- A rental property needs a full redecoration turned around quickly in the short gap between one tenant leaving and the next arriving.
- Exterior render, masonry paint or painted woodwork is peeling, flaking, chalking or bubbling to the touch after years of weathering.
- A renovation, extension or knock-through has left a patchwork of old and new plaster that needs bringing to one consistent finish.
- Skirting, doors and architrave have thick, yellowed layers of old gloss build-up that need stripping back rather than painted over again.
How the work is handled
- Step 1Inspect walls, ceilings and woodwork
- Step 2Prepare and re-skim where needed
- Step 3Apply the agreed paint system
- Step 4Clean down and snag before handover
Coverage across London
Lian Construction is based in Kingston upon Thames and covers all 32 London boroughs plus the City of London for painting and decorating work.
Local coverage
Painting and decorating in your borough
Dedicated painting and decorating pages for our priority London boroughs, with local landmarks, access notes and typical property types for each area.
Questions
Common painting and decorating questions
Can you repair plaster before decorating?
Yes. Plastering and re-skimming are part of the same job where surfaces need repair before painting.
Do you decorate rental properties between tenancies?
Yes. We offer fast turnaround redecoration for landlords and letting agents, including minor plaster repairs.
How many coats of paint are included in a typical decorating job?
This depends on the surface and finish agreed, but we apply as many coats as needed for full, even coverage rather than stopping short. We'll confirm the paint system before starting so there's no ambiguity.
Can you decorate the exterior of a property?
Yes. We carry out exterior painting and decorating, including preparing rendered or painted surfaces beforehand, weather permitting.
How quickly can you turn around a rental property between tenants?
We know landlords and agents often have a tight gap between tenancies, so we prioritise scheduling for rental redecoration jobs and can combine minor plaster repairs into the same visit to avoid a second trip.
Do you strip wallpaper or artex before decorating, and is that included?
This depends on what's underneath. Straightforward paper usually comes off with steam and scraping as part of the prep, and we'll factor that into the quote once we've seen it. Artex is different: if it just needs skimming over rather than removing, that's fairly routine, but if it has to come off entirely, we check it isn't a pre-1980s asbestos-containing type before disturbing it, and arrange testing if there's any doubt. That inspection and any testing is priced separately from the main decorating job, since it depends on lab results rather than a visual assessment. Woodchip is more straightforward: it's mechanically strippable in most cases, though thick or heavily glued paper on old plaster occasionally takes the surface skim with it, in which case we'd patch or re-skim that section as part of the same visit rather than as a separate follow-on job.
How long does newly plastered or re-skimmed plaster need to dry before you can paint it?
As a general rule we allow around a week of drying time per coat of skim in normal conditions, so a single skim coat needs roughly a week before the mist coat goes on, longer in cold weather or rooms without much airflow. Painting too early is one of the most common causes of a poor finish, since trapped moisture in the plaster shows up later as flashing, staining or a patchy sheen. We build this drying time into the programme from the outset rather than treating it as a delay, so there's no surprise when the painting stage doesn't start the day the plastering finishes. Heating the room gently and keeping a window or trickle vent open helps the wall dry evenly, but running a dehumidifier hard or heating one patch of wall directly can dry the surface faster than the plaster underneath, which sometimes causes fine cracking, so we'd rather the room dry naturally over a few extra days than force it and risk redoing the work.
Can you deal with damp or mould before decorating over it, or do we need to sort that separately first?
We can carry out minor related repairs, such as patch plastering after a resolved leak or treating a small area of surface mould with an appropriate cleaner and stain-blocking primer before painting. What we won't do is paint over an active, ongoing damp problem, because the finish will fail again within months and the underlying cause still needs addressing, usually by a damp specialist or by fixing whatever is letting water in. If we spot signs of ongoing damp during a decorating job, we'll flag it before proceeding rather than painting over a problem that isn't actually solved. Signs we look out for include a musty smell, paint or wallpaper lifting in bubbles rather than flat peeling, and staining that keeps darkening rather than staying the same shape and size, since those point to an active source of moisture rather than a one-off historic leak that's already dried out.
If we're only redecorating one room or touching up part of a wall, can you match the existing colour and finish?
Usually, yes. If you still have the original paint reference, tin, or a code from a previous job, we'll match to that directly. Without a reference, we can colour-match from a sample taken off the wall in most cases, though very old or heavily faded paint can be harder to match exactly under different lighting, and a slight difference in sheen level between an old and new coat can sometimes show even when the colour itself is spot on. We'll flag any risk of a visible join or sheen mismatch before starting so it's not a surprise once the work is done. On feature walls or areas that get direct sun through a window, older paint can fade unevenly compared with a stored tin of the same colour, so matching by eye against the faded wall sometimes gives a truer result on the day than matching strictly to the original code.
Do you supply the paint and materials, or do we need to choose and provide them ourselves?
We generally supply trade paint and materials as part of the job and price it into the quote, using ranges such as Dulux Trade, Crown Trade or Johnstone's depending on the finish required. If you've already chosen a specific colour, brand or eco-friendly range and would rather supply it yourself, that's fine too, we'll just confirm quantities and sheen level in advance so there's enough to complete the job in one go without a mid-job trip to match a part-used tin. One thing worth knowing either way is that trade paint and retail paint from the same brand aren't always identical in formulation, so if you're supplying your own tins bought from a DIY shed rather than a trade counter, coverage and number of coats needed can differ slightly from what we'd normally expect, and we'll adjust the labour estimate once we know which you're using.
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