Painters & Decorators
Decorating an old building is largely a question of what the surface underneath needs. Lime plaster, lath and plaster, historic joinery and external limewashed or lime-rendered walls all have to move and release moisture, and modern impermeable coatings trap water behind them, which leads to blown plaster, peeling paint and decaying timber. The decorators in this category work with linseed oil paints, distempers, limewash, clay and mineral paints, and traditional oil systems. Many also carry out specialist decorative finishes such as graining, marbling, stencilling and applied gilding.
What this category covers
- Breathable paint systems for lime plaster and solid walls
- Linseed oil paint on external and internal joinery and metalwork
- Limewash, soft distemper and clay and mineral paints
- Specialist finishes: graining, marbling, stencilling, gilding
- Careful preparation and paint removal on historic surfaces
Charles Cooper Specialist Decorators & Gilders Ltd
Specialist Decorators & Gilders / INTERIOR CONSULTANTS / PAINTERS AND DECORATORS: At ...
Cliveden Conservation Workshop Ltd
SCULPTURE, STONE AND MATERIALS ANALYSIS / SCULPTURE, STONE AND BRICK SERVICES / ...
HarriDec Ltd
HarriDec is a painting, decorating and restoration contractor based in Essex, offering ...
Houseforce London
HouseForce is a privately owned painting, decorating and property refurbishment business with ...
Inspire Building Specialists Ltd
Inspire Building Specialists (IBS Ltd) is an Oxfordshire builder based at Horton-cum-Studley, ...
Mike Wye Limited
Mike Wye Limited has supplied natural and sustainable building materials from Buckland ...
Oliver & Sons Heritage Restoration
Oliver & Sons Heritage Restoration is a West Sussex firm working exclusively ...
Parsons Building & Maintenance
Parsons Building & Maintenance is a family-run, fully qualified and insured contractor ...
Choosing paint for an old building
Let the substrate choose the paint. Lime plaster and lime render need a vapour-open finish such as limewash, distemper or a mineral paint; modern vinyl emulsion and masonry paint seal them and cause blistering and damp. On external joinery and ironwork, linseed oil paint penetrates and stays flexible, whereas a hard modern film cracks and lets water behind it.
Take preparation seriously and slowly. Aggressive sanding, abrasive blasting and hot-air stripping all destroy historic surfaces and can ignite dust in old timber. Careful hand preparation, poultices and low-temperature methods take longer and preserve the substance of what is being decorated.
Assume lead paint on anything decorated before 1970. Sanding or burning it releases lead dust and fume; the safe route is controlled removal by a contractor who tests first and works wet, or leaving sound coatings in place and overpainting.
Ask to see comparable work. Traditional paints behave differently in application, coverage and drying, and their success depends far more on the decorator's experience than on the tin. Photographs of finished heritage projects say more than product literature.
Questions to ask
Why does modern paint peel off my lime-plastered walls?
Because it is largely impermeable. Moisture moving through the wall cannot escape through the paint film, so it builds up behind it and pushes the coating off, often taking the surface of the plaster with it. Vapour-open finishes avoid this.
Is linseed oil paint worth the extra effort?
For external joinery and ironwork many specifiers think so. It penetrates rather than forming a skin, stays flexible, and weathers by chalking rather than cracking and lifting, which means maintenance is washing down and recoating rather than stripping back.
What should I do about old lead paint?
Have it tested before disturbing it. Sound coatings can often be left in place and overpainted. Where removal is necessary, use a contractor experienced in lead-safe methods; sanding and burning off are the two things not to do.
All 9 businesses listed under Painters & Decorators
- Britain & Co Ltd Greater London
- Charles Cooper Specialist Decorators & Gilders Ltd Suffolk
- Cliveden Conservation Workshop Ltd Berkshire
- HarriDec Ltd Essex
- Houseforce London Kent
- Inspire Building Specialists Ltd Oxfordshire
- Mike Wye Limited Devon
- Oliver & Sons Heritage Restoration West Sussex
- Parsons Building & Maintenance Kent
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.