Beckenham homes, from Victorian villas to converted flats
Walk a few minutes from the high street and you find a real mix of houses. Large Victorian and Edwardian villas, many with high ceilings, deep skirting and decorative plasterwork, sit close to roads of inter-war semis with bay windows and rendered fronts. A good number of the bigger old houses have been converted into flats, which brings shared hallways and staircases into the picture.
Each type calls for a slightly different approach. Period rooms often have cracked lining paper, thick old layers of gloss on the woodwork and ceilings that need care around cornices and roses. Inter-war semis tend to be simpler inside but have plenty of woodwork on stairs and landings. In a converted building, the communal areas need a finish that copes with bikes, post and people coming and going all day.
Exterior work on period frontages
The front of a Victorian or Edwardian house is usually where the effort goes: sash windows, bay timbers, porches, bargeboards and front doors, as well as painted masonry or render. Most of the time on these jobs is spent on preparation, scraping back loose paint, raking out and filling cracks, treating bare timber and making sure every surface is sound before any primer goes on.
If timber is soft or masonry is cracked, we point it out before painting, because a new coat over a failing surface will not last. Access is worked out at the quote stage, since tall period frontages may need a tower or scaffold. Rain and cold decide the final dates, so outside work is booked with some flexibility built in.
Shops and offices around the town centre
Commercial decorating is a big part of what we do, and the shops and offices around Beckenham town centre are well within reach. That might be a tired shop front, a café or salon interior, or an office floor above the shops that needs repainting without getting in the way of staff.
For businesses, the plan comes first: which rooms can be cleared, when, and whether evening or weekend working would help. Large walls and ceilings can be sprayed with airless equipment to keep closures short, and brush and roller is used where it makes more sense.
Spraying kitchens and woodwork
Plenty of kitchens are solidly built but dated in colour. Spraying the doors, drawer fronts and end panels with HVLP equipment gives a smooth, even finish and can change the whole feel of the room without ripping out the units. The same approach suits fitted wardrobes, panelled doors and staircase spindles, where brush marks are hard to avoid by hand.
Not every surface is suitable for spraying, so we check the material and its condition first and explain the preparation it needs.
Colour and finish choices for older rooms
Period rooms can carry stronger colours than people expect, but they also show up poor preparation quickly. Tall walls catch raking light from big windows, so dents and patchy filling that might pass in a modern box room will stand out. That is why we spend time getting walls flat before choosing between a flat matt or a more washable finish.
Woodwork is another decision. Skirting, architraves and panelled doors in these houses often have decades of oil-based gloss on them. Moving to a water-based satin or eggshell is a popular choice for a softer look, but it needs the right primer over old gloss to stop it peeling. We explain the options and what each one involves before you commit.
Ceilings deserve a mention too. Old lath and plaster ceilings can crack and sag, and a fresh coat will not fix that. If a ceiling looks doubtful, we will say so before painting, so you can get it looked at first.
Getting to Beckenham and booking a visit
We are based in Swanley and travel up to 40 miles, so Beckenham sits comfortably inside our usual area, along with neighbouring Bromley, Chislehurst and Lewisham. Eric Purnell has been trading for 20 years and will normally come out to look at the job himself before quoting.
To get started, call 07872 324935, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm or Saturday 9am–2pm, or send the quote form with a few details about the property and what you would like done. Photos of the rooms or frontage always help us give you a more useful answer.