Knowledge Hub
Professional Painting
Interior and exterior painting with excellent technical training and attention to detail.
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Can I just paint over a damp or mouldy wall?No. Paint hides the stain for a while, but if the damp is still there it comes back and takes the new paint with it. First find the cause, then scrape back and repair the wall.Why is the paint peeling off my walls?Usually because of damp, or because it went on over a surface that wasn't holding: dust, loose old layers, a glossy base. The fix is to remove whatever isn't holding, not to add another coat on top.After a fire, is a coat of paint enough to get rid of the black?No. The soot has to be cleaned off and a stain-blocking primer applied first, or it comes back through the new paint. Before anything else, check what the heat has loosened.A piece of plaster fell off the ceiling. What now?Keep the area underneath clear, as more plaster around it may be loose. Then find out why it fell, whether damp, a leak or rusting steel, before it is re-plastered and painted.I want new colours at home. Where do I start?A few colours repeated from room to room, one wall in a stronger shade if you want character, and a darker colour where walls get dirty easily. A strong old colour needs extra coats to cover.My ceiling has a rough textured finish. Can it be made smooth?Yes. Any loose parts are removed, the ceiling is skimmed smooth and then painted. A smooth ceiling collects less dust and is easier to repaint evenly.Can I refresh my kitchen by painting the walls, doors and cupboards without ripping out the units?Yes, as long as the cupboards and woodwork are structurally sound. With proper preparation, wall filling and repainting of cupboard doors and frames, a kitchen is transformed without stripping out the units.Our walls are painted a strong colour (lime green, blue, mint). How do you turn them pure white without the old shade showing through?To cover a strong or dark shade cleanly, any flaking paint is scraped first and repairs are filled and sanded, followed by successive coats of white with proper drying time in between until the colour is completely uniform.Spray painting vs roller in an apartment: when is a paint sprayer used and how is the furniture protected?Airless spray painting gives a very smooth, uniform finish across walls and ceilings, provided every piece of furniture, window frame and floor is completely masked in plastic sheeting and tape beforehand.The render on our apartment building's facade or side wall is blistering and falling. How is it repaired and painted from scaffolding?Scaffolding with safety netting is erected, all hollow and crumbling render is hacked off, edges and surfaces are rebuilt and filled, and the entire elevation is painted top-to-bottom with weather-resistant exterior paint.Our balcony parapet and walls keep peeling. What preparation is needed before repainting them?Simply painting over a peeling balcony parapet will not hold. All loose paint and crumbly render must be scraped off, the surface repaired and primed, and finished with exterior acrylic paint.Why do plaster and paint blister above and below windows, and how is that repaired?Around windows — at the lintel above, around the shutter box and beneath the marble sill — moisture often creeps in through exterior gaps or condensation. The damaged plaster is scraped back, filled, primed and repainted.What does a ground-floor shop or office with damp walls and a worn floor need to look clean and ready for use?In ground-floor shops and offices, damp along the base of the walls is treated by scraping back loose material, repairing and repainting, while a worn floor can be washed and coated with hard-wearing floor paint.I want one feature wall in a different colour in the living room or bedroom. How do you combine it with the other walls?A feature wall works best behind a fireplace, TV unit or bedhead, while the remaining walls stay white or very light so the room keeps its brightness and white doors and wardrobes stand out cleanly.Our exterior courtyard wall is shedding large pieces of render. How is it repaired with mesh so it doesn't crack again?All hollow render is hacked off, deep voids are patched, fibreglass reinforcing mesh is embedded into a continuous skim of repair mortar across the wall, and the surface is finished with exterior paint.What care is needed when repainting an older Athens apartment with high ceilings, interior wooden doors and built-in wardrobes?Older Athens apartments feature high ceilings with plaster mouldings, glazed double doors, tall built-in wardrobes and classic floors. They require careful taping along edges, crack repairs on the walls, and dedicated preparation for the woodwork.
Guides
5 partsPainting
Damp and Fire-Damaged Rooms: The Work Before the Paint
How to read the damage, how far the scraping goes, how the wall is rebuilt with plaster, filler and primer, what changes after a fire, and what to ask before the work starts.
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4 partsPainting
Interior Renovation: From Filling to Finish
What actually goes into a good interior paint job — and why it's never just 'a bit of paint'. In four parts.
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4 partsPainting
Facade Renovation & Painting: The Homeowner's Guide
When your facade actually needs repainting, which paint to choose, and what to check before you start. In four parts.
Read the full guideTerms
Acrylic paintA water-based paint with an acrylic resin, the most common choice for outside walls. It stands up to sun and rain and has some flexibility to follow small movements in the wall.CondensationMoisture in the air turning to water on cold surfaces such as windows, outside corners and ceilings. It is the most common cause of mould indoors.CrackA split or gap in render, concrete, a wall, a coating or wood. Fine cracks are usually only on the surface; ones that grow, keep reopening or run diagonally need attention.Efflorescence (salt deposits)A white, powdery or crystalline crust on the surface of a wall. It is salts carried by water through the masonry, left behind when the water evaporates.Elastomeric waterproof coatingA thick, rubbery waterproof paint for flat roofs, parapets and roofs. It stretches without cracking as the building expands and bridges hairline cracks.Emulsion paintThe everyday water-based paint for indoor walls and ceilings. It thins with water, dries quickly, has little smell and comes in matt, satin or glossier finishes.FillerA fine paste or powder that fills holes, fine cracks and dents so a wall, ceiling or piece of wood is smooth before it is painted.Hollow (blistered) plasterPlaster that has come away from the wall or ceiling behind it. It sounds dull when you tap it lightly, and often blisters or cracks before it falls.MouldFungi that grow on damp surfaces, leaving black or greenish spots and a musty smell. It is a symptom of damp, not a problem with the paint.Peeling paintWhen paint loses its grip and lifts off in flakes or sheets. It is almost always a sign of a problem underneath, usually damp or poor preparation.PrimerThe thin first coat that goes on before the main material. It binds dust, seals the pores and helps paint or waterproofing stick firmly.Render (plaster)A layer of mortar (sand, cement or lime, and water) spread over brick or concrete to give a wall a straight, sound surface ready for paint or tiles.Rising dampMoisture from the ground that climbs up inside walls through the pores of the materials. It shows as stains, blown render and salts at the foot of walls.SandingSmoothing a surface with sandpaper or a power sander to remove bumps, loose old paint or gloss, so the new paint or varnish grips well and comes out smooth.SootThe black, greasy dust that smoke leaves on walls and ceilings after a fire, or from a fireplace or stove. Paint straight over it without cleaning and priming and it comes back through.Thermal bridgeA spot in a building where heat and cold pass more easily than through the rest of the wall or slab, such as columns, beams and the edges of a slab.
Jobs in this category
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Painting
Restoring a Room After a Fire
Walls and ceiling black with soot. Cleaning, plaster repairs and fresh paint made the room livable again.
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Painting
Repair and Paint Above a Window
Above a window the plaster had peeled away. It was repaired and painted, and the surface looks smooth and even again.
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Painting
A Balcony with a Worn Parapet, Painted White
A balcony with peeling plaster and paint on the parapet was painted white and now looks clean.
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