Terraces, mansion blocks and new-build flats
The borough has a bit of everything. Long streets of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many now split into flats, run alongside older mansion blocks with shared stairwells and newer apartment buildings near the town centre and the stations. Each brings its own decorating needs, from worn original woodwork in a terrace to scuffed corridors in a block.
In terraced houses, hallways and stairs take the most wear, and ceilings in older rooms often show hairline cracks that need filling before painting. In new-build flats the walls are usually smooth but finished in a basic trade paint that marks easily, so many owners want a more durable coat once they have moved in.
Rental and between-tenancy repaints
Landlords and letting agents often have a short window between one tenancy ending and the next beginning. A between-tenancy repaint is about getting walls, ceilings and woodwork clean, neutral and hard-wearing again: filling holes left by pictures and shelves, freshening up doors and frames, and leaving the place ready for viewings.
This sits within the property maintenance work we offer. Giving us the move-out date, how we get the keys and a list of rooms lets us plan the job properly. If you look after more than one property, we can talk about how to schedule repaints across them.
Offices and commercial units, out of hours if needed
Lewisham has plenty of offices, shops and small commercial units, and most of them cannot simply close for a week. We can work evenings or weekends by arrangement, or decorate one area at a time, so your staff and customers are disrupted as little as possible.
For larger plain areas, airless spraying covers walls and ceilings quickly once everything is masked, which reduces how long a room is out of use. Brush and roller handles the detail and the smaller rooms. The aim is a durable, washable finish that copes with daily use.
Wallpapering and feature walls
Not every room has to be plain emulsion. Wallpaper is a popular way to add character to a living room, bedroom or hallway, and a single feature wall can lift a room without overwhelming it. We hang wallpaper as well as paint, including lining paper where older walls are uneven.
Patterned papers need careful setting out so the design lines up across the wall and around doors and windows. We check the wall first, because old paper, loose plaster or damp patches have to be dealt with before anything new goes up.
Access and parking in the borough
Working in London is different from working in a Kent village. Parking can be tight, some streets have controlled zones, and upper-floor flats mean carrying materials up the stairs. We plan all of this at the quote stage: where the van can go, whether a visitor permit is needed, and how materials and dust sheets will get in and out.
In blocks with shared areas, we also check any building rules about working hours and protecting the common parts, so neighbours are not put out.
Choosing tougher finishes for busy homes
Flats and shared houses in the borough tend to be lived in hard. Hallways double as bike stores, kitchens are small and well used, and children and tenants come and go. A cheap contract matt might look fine on the day but will mark the first time a bag brushes past it. For these spaces we usually suggest a scrubbable or durable matt that can be wiped down without leaving shiny patches.
Bathrooms and kitchens in older terraces can suffer from condensation, which shows up as mould spots and flaking paint on ceilings. We clean and treat the affected areas before painting and can recommend a kitchen and bathroom paint designed for damp conditions, although improving ventilation is the long-term answer.
Request a quote
Lewisham is within the 40 miles we travel from Swanley, as are nearby Beckenham and Bromley. Call Eric Purnell on 07872 324935, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm or Saturday 9am–2pm, or use the form on this page to tell us about the property and the work you need.