Painters & Decorators in Watford

Watford's housing is unusually mixed: Victorian terraces near the centre, large numbers of inter-war semis and bay-fronted houses, post-war stock, and a good deal of newer apartment development.

The inter-war houses commonly have pebbledash or roughcast render. That surface is far more demanding to coat than smooth render: it holds dirt and organic growth in its texture, it is awkward to cover evenly, and it swallows considerably more material than a flat wall of the same size.

Where pebbledash is cracked or has blown away from the backing, patching it and painting over the top only hides the problem for a season. Hollow areas need cutting out and making good first.

Interior decorating is covered under interior painting, exterior and render work under exterior painting.

Floors are under wooden flooring, bathrooms and kitchens under tiling, and the roofline under fascias and soffits.

We also take on wallpapering · heat-reflective coating · StoColor Dryonic.

Can you paint pebbledash?

Yes, and it is common in Watford. It is worth knowing that textured render absorbs considerably more material than a smooth wall of the same size and takes longer to cover evenly, so it is not priced the same way.

The render is cracked in places. Does that need fixing first?

Yes. Patching over cracked or hollow render and coating it hides the problem for a season at most. Hollow areas are cut out and made good before anything else goes on.

Do you work in flats and communal areas?

Yes — hallways, stairwells and landings in apartment blocks, as well as offices and retail interiors. Those jobs use hard-wearing washable finishes and low-odour products, and are planned around access and occupancy.

Do you work in occupied offices?

Yes. Working around a live office is slower than having an empty property, and we would rather plan for that honestly than disrupt your business.

Exterior repaint on Cecil Street, Watford