The decorating journal

Good decisions, before the first coat.

Practical reading to help you brief the work, compare specifications and ask useful questions about your property.

Decorating guidance

Planning preparation for plaster walls

The condition of the plaster determines the preparation brief. Describe the wall as it is, including earlier repairs and recurring defects.

Decorating guidance

The right finish depends on the surface and its use as well as the colour. A sample is more useful than a finish name alone.

Decorating guidance

A colour card starts the discussion. The room itself is where the choice needs to be judged.

Decorating guidance

Protection needs a practical plan before the work starts. Identify what remains in the room and how people will move through the property.

Decorating guidance

Before comparing application methods, establish whether the cabinets are suitable for painting and exactly which parts are included.

Decorating guidance

A wallpaper brief needs to account for what may be beneath the existing covering as well as the paper you want to hang.

Decorating guidance

The condition of the exterior is more useful than a fixed repainting interval. Different materials and exposures need separate attention.

Decorating guidance

Explain staining, damp concerns and recurring paint failure at the enquiry stage. Repainting should not be used to avoid understanding the cause.

Your next step

Share the rooms, surface condition and full postcode. Photographs and a short description help us understand the work before discussing a quotation.