Homes built for families
Across Tonbridge and Malling borough, 37.0% of homes are semi-detached and 27.0% are detached. That means many larger households, and many of the enquiries we would expect here are for full redecoration rather than a single room: hall, stairs and landing, several bedrooms, kitchens, woodwork throughout and often the outside too. Doing the house as one planned project means rooms can be emptied in turn and the colours can be chosen to flow from one space to the next.
Railway terraces near Douglas Road and Barden Park
The coming of the railway brought rows of Victorian terraces, especially around Douglas Road and Barden Park. These houses often keep original features such as panelled doors, sash or bay windows, decorative fireplaces and narrow, steep staircases. Older lime plaster can be cracked or uneven, and woodwork usually carries many layers of paint. Careful filling and sanding before painting make the biggest difference to the result.
Trench Wood, Cage Green and Higham Wood
Trench Wood and Cage Green grew up after the war, and Higham Wood is another large residential part of the town. Homes on estates like these generally have simpler interiors with square rooms, plain ceilings and standard doors, which suit efficient decorating, and many have rendered or brick exteriors with fascias, soffits and windows that need periodic repainting.
After the water has gone
The Medway has flooded Tonbridge more than once, notably in 1968, in 2013 and again in December 2019, and the Leigh Barrier upstream is part of how the river is managed. If your home or business has been affected by water, redecorating has to wait until walls and ceilings are thoroughly dry. Painting over damp plaster tends to trap moisture, so the new paint can bubble, flake or stain. We do not diagnose damp, and drying or repairs should be handled by the appropriate specialist. Once the surfaces are dry, we can seal any water marks with a stain-blocking primer and redecorate.
Conservation areas and the town centre
Tonbridge town centre, Quarry Hill and Haysden are conservation areas, so exterior changes in those parts may need checking with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council first. Tonbridge Castle, the High Street and Tonbridge School give the centre its character, and the offices and shops along the High Street can be decorated around opening hours, with office repaints phased or done out of hours by agreement.
Kitchens, halls and the busy rooms
In family homes, the rooms that wear fastest are the kitchen, the hallway and the stairs. Kitchens collect grease and steam, so walls are washed down before painting and finished in a wipeable paint. Hallways take bags, bikes and shoes, which is why many people choose a tougher finish there and a practical colour on the lower part of the wall. Children’s bedrooms often benefit from scrubbable paints too.
Outside the family home
Semi-detached and detached houses have more outside walls and woodwork than a terrace, often including side elevations, garages, porches and fences. Fascias, soffits, windows and doors can be painted together with rendered walls, planned for a dry spell. Where access is tight down a side passage, we look at it during the first visit.
Living in while we decorate
Most families stay at home during redecoration. We agree an order of rooms so there is always somewhere to sleep, cook and relax, clear up at the end of each day, and keep the stairs usable. If anyone in the house works from home, tell us and we will plan noisy preparation around their day.
Getting started
Tonbridge is within our working area of up to 40 miles from Swanley. Send your postcode, a list of rooms and any photos, or call Eric on 07872 324935.