Kitchen plastering and decorating · Northern Ireland
Kitchen plastering and decorating in County Antrim
We carry out kitchen plastering and decorating across County Antrim, from Belfast to the smaller towns, with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote as standard.
Why kitchen plastering and decorating for a County Antrim home?
When new sockets, lighting and pipework have been chased into the walls of a County Antrim kitchen, plastering and making good is what hides the routes cleanly.
Homeowners in County Antrim 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.
What does kitchen plastering and decorating in County Antrim include?
Here is what usually goes into kitchen plastering and decorating, adjusted to your County Antrim kitchen after we have measured it:
- Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
- Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
- Walls re-boarded or skimmed so units and tiles fix to a flat surface
- Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
- Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos
- Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
- Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room
- Edges around units, worktops and splashbacks cut in neatly at the end
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in County Antrim?
The figures below are guide prices for County Antrim, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across Northern Ireland. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Prices in Northern Ireland usually come in below the national guide, as labour rates are lower than in the South East.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed | £310–£700 |
| Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall | £790–£1,600 |
| Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork | £350–£1,100 |
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 across County Antrim
The housing mix across County Antrim includes red-brick terraces, Victorian villas, post-war estate houses and rural bungalows, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Red-brick terraces in Belfast often have a narrow kitchen in the return, while estate houses and rural bungalows tend to have a separate kitchen with room for a table.
Mains water across most of County Antrim is soft, so limescale is less of a problem and taps and boiling water taps tend to stay cleaner. Terraced streets with entries at the back, city flats with booked lifts and country lanes can each affect deliveries, so the route for worktops is checked at the survey.
Opening the return kitchen of a Belfast terrace into the living room is a common way to make a kitchen-diner. Rural bungalows often run on oil-fired heating, and owners frequently want a larger kitchen with a utility room for boots and laundry.
Rules for kitchen plastering and decorating in County Antrim
In Northern Ireland, plastering and decorating a kitchen needs no planning permission or building control application in most cases. In a listed building, listed building consent may be needed before original plaster or features are removed, and older solid walls may suit lime plaster better than gypsum. If an outside wall is being stripped back and re-lined, ask council building control whether insulation requirements apply.
Listed buildings and conservation areas in older parts of Belfast and the county towns may need consent for new vents, and apartment owners usually need management consent.
Before you start
- Plaster before the units go in: skimming around fitted cabinets is slower, messier and leaves edges that are hard to finish neatly.
- Whether a wall can be skimmed or needs hacking off is often clear only once the old tiles and units are off, so allow some contingency.
- If your home was built before 2000, have textured ceiling coatings tested for asbestos before anyone sands, scrapes or drills into them.
- Older homes with solid walls may have lime plaster, which is often better repaired with lime than gypsum, particularly where the building is listed.
- Photograph the walls of your County Antrim kitchen before plastering, showing where cables and pipes run, so you know where not to drill when fitting shelves later.
- Pick the final paint colour for your County Antrim kitchen while the plaster dries, testing samples on the dried mist coat rather than on bare plaster.
Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in County Antrim
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in County Antrim?
Kitchen plastering and decorating in County Antrim typically costs £310 to £700 including VAT for skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, based on prices in Northern Ireland. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.
Do you cover the whole of County Antrim?
Yes. We carry out kitchen plastering and decorating across County Antrim, including Belfast, Lisburn, Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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.
How long should new plaster dry before painting?
Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry fully before full decorating, depending on its thickness, the time of year and how well the room is ventilated. It turns from dark to an even, pale colour as it dries. A diluted mist coat can usually go on sooner to seal the surface, with the final coats applied once drying has finished.
Kitchen plastering and decorating in towns across County Antrim
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Belfast
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Lisburn
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Newtownabbey
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Carrickfergus
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Ballymena
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Antrim
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Larne
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Ballymoney