Kitchen plastering and decorating · England
Kitchen plastering and decorating in Kent
Our kitchen plastering and decorating work covers the whole of Kent, including Maidstone, Gillingham and Chatham.
Why do people in Kent choose kitchen plastering and decorating?
Homeowners in Kent 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.
Once the old kitchen is out in a Kent home, the walls behind it are often patched, chased and uneven, and a skim gives the new units a sound surface.
What does kitchen plastering and decorating in Kent include?
Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:
- 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 Kent?
As a starting point for Kent, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South East. Labour in the South East generally costs more than the UK average, which lifts these ranges a little.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed | £400–£920 |
| Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall | £1,000–£2,100 |
| Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork | £460–£1,400 |
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 Kent
The housing mix across Kent includes Victorian terraces, weatherboarded cottages, 1930s semis and oast house conversions, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian terraces in the Medway towns and along the coast often have a narrow back-addition kitchen, while 1930s semis usually have a small kitchen beside a separate dining room.
Water across Kent is hard, so limescale builds up quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth considering. Seaside terraces, permit parking and narrow village lanes can each make deliveries slower, so the route for long worktops is best checked at the survey.
Many Victorian terraces have a narrow back kitchen that owners open into the dining room to make a family space. Oast and barn conversions can put the kitchen in an unusual room shape, which calls for careful planning of units, extraction and lighting.
Rules for kitchen plastering and decorating in Kent
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.
Listed weatherboarded and timber-framed cottages, oast conversions and homes in conservation areas such as historic Canterbury may need consent for new external vents.
Before you start
- Older homes with solid walls may have lime plaster, which is often better repaired with lime than gypsum, particularly where the building is listed.
- Choose a paint sold for kitchens or bathrooms, with a wipeable or scrubbable finish; standard matt emulsions can mark easily near the hob and bin.
- 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.
- Plaster before the units go in: skimming around fitted cabinets is slower, messier and leaves edges that are hard to finish neatly.
- Photograph the walls of your Kent kitchen before plastering, showing where cables and pipes run, so you know where not to drill when fitting shelves later.
- Small hairline cracks can appear as new plaster dries; ask for them to be filled and sanded just before the final coats, not straight away.
Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in Kent
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Kent?
Kitchen plastering and decorating in Kent typically costs £400 to £920 including VAT for skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, based on prices in the South East. 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 Kent?
Yes. We carry out kitchen plastering and decorating across Kent, including Maidstone, Gillingham, Chatham and Tunbridge Wells. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
Can a textured kitchen ceiling be skimmed over?
Often, yes, but have it tested first if the house was built before 2000. Some older textured ceiling coatings contain asbestos, so a sample should be tested before anyone sands, scrapes or drills them. If the result is clear, the ceiling can usually be skimmed or overboarded. If asbestos is found, follow the report's advice and use a specialist asbestos contractor.
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 Kent
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Maidstone
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Gillingham
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Chatham
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Tunbridge Wells
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Folkestone
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Margate
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Ashford, Kent
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Canterbury
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Sittingbourne
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Gravesend
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Dartford
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Ramsgate
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Dover
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Tonbridge
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Strood
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Whitstable
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Deal
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Sevenoaks
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Rochester
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Herne Bay
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Broadstairs
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Faversham
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Swanley
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Longfield
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Hartley
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Swanscombe
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Hythe, Kent
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Edenbridge
- Kitchen plastering and decorating in Tenterden