Kitchen plastering and decorating · Dorset
Kitchen plastering and decorating in Christchurch
Kitchen plastering and decorating for Christchurch homes: walls and ceilings skimmed or re-boarded after strip-out, then decorated in wipeable kitchen paint. Every job starts with a free survey visit and a written quote.
Thinking about kitchen plastering and decorating in Christchurch?
Homeowners in Dorset with textured ceilings in older kitchens often want them smoothed, and the first step is an asbestos test if the house dates from before 2000.
When new sockets, lighting and pipework have been chased into the walls of a Christchurch kitchen, plastering and making good is what hides the routes cleanly. Our Dorset coverage reaches every part of Christchurch (BH23) and out towards Bournemouth.
What is in a typical job?
The exact scope is agreed after the survey, but a typical job in Christchurch covers:
- Walls re-boarded or skimmed so units and tiles fix to a flat surface
- Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
- Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
- Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos
- Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
- Edges around units, worktops and splashbacks cut in neatly at the end
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Christchurch?
The figures below are guide prices for Christchurch, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across the South West. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Costs in the South West sit close to the national guide.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed | £360–£820 |
| Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall | £930–£1,900 |
| Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork | £410–£1,200 |
Guide prices are for a typical kitchen, with labour and standard materials for plastering or decorating; asbestos testing, structural repairs, damp treatment and lime plaster are not included and are quoted separately if needed. Prices include VAT at 20%.
Kitchens in homes around Christchurch
In and around Christchurch, homes range across thatched cottages, Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows. Edwardian villas in Bournemouth often have a separate kitchen and scullery, while 1930s semis and bungalows tend to have a compact room at the back.
Most of Dorset has hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter can help. Flats in converted villas may have no lift and shared hallways, and narrow village lanes can make delivering long worktops difficult.
Building regulations, electrics and gas in Christchurch
Skimming, re-boarding and decorating a kitchen in England need no planning permission or building regulations approval in most cases. In a listed building, listed building consent may be needed before original plaster is removed, and older solid walls may be better suited to breathable lime plaster than gypsum. Hacking an outside wall back to brick and re-boarding it may count as renovating a thermal element under Part L, so check with building control first.
Thatched and listed cottages may need listed building consent for internal changes, and owners of flats in converted houses usually need the freeholder's consent before work starts.
Planning ahead
- Photograph the walls of your Christchurch kitchen before plastering, showing where cables and pipes run, so you know where not to drill when fitting shelves later.
- Before final decorating in your Christchurch kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
- Keep a small tin of each paint used in your Christchurch kitchen, labelled with the colour and finish, for touching up marks around handles and the bin.
- Plaster before the units go in: skimming around fitted cabinets is slower, messier and leaves edges that are hard to finish neatly.
Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in Christchurch
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Christchurch?
Kitchen plastering and decorating in Christchurch typically costs £360 to £820 including VAT for skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, based on prices in the South West. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.
Do you cover all of Christchurch?
Yes. We work across Christchurch, including the BH23 postcode district, and nearby towns such as Bournemouth and New Milton. Book a free survey visit and we will arrange a time that suits you.
Do I need to replaster after removing kitchen tiles?
Usually, at least in places. Taking tiles off often pulls away the plaster skin or leaves adhesive ridges, so the wall may need skimming, patching or, where the plaster has come loose, hacking off and re-boarding. If you are retiling the same area, a flat, sound surface may be enough without a full skim. We check this once the tiles are off.
Should a kitchen be plastered before or after the units are fitted?
Before. Plastering is done after strip-out and first-fix electrics and plumbing, so new cables and pipes are chased in and covered, and before the base and wall units go in. Units then fix to a flat, finished surface, and the decorator only needs to cut in around them at the end. Patch repairs after fitting are possible but harder to hide.
What paint should be used on kitchen walls?
A moisture-resistant paint with a wipeable or scrubbable finish, often sold as kitchen and bathroom paint, suits most kitchen walls. It copes with steam and can be cleaned without marking. Silk or eggshell finishes are easier to wipe than flat matt, and woodwork usually gets a satinwood or gloss. New plaster needs a diluted mist coat before any of these.
Nearby places we cover
We also carry out kitchen plastering and decorating in these towns near Christchurch:
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Bournemouth
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Ringwood
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Poole
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Lymington
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Swanage
- Kitchen plastering and decorating across Dorset