Kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton

Is kitchen plastering and decorating right for your New Milton kitchen?

If your New Milton kitchen has blown plaster behind old tiles, hacking off and re-boarding is usually more reliable than patching over it, and gives the new tiles and units a firm base to fix to.

Homeowners in Hampshire 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. Kitchens in every part of New Milton are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Hampshire.

What is included in the work?

The exact scope is agreed after the survey, but a typical job in New Milton covers:

Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
Edges around units, worktops and splashbacks cut in neatly at the end
Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room
Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
Walls re-boarded or skimmed so units and tiles fix to a flat surface
Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton

As a starting point for New Milton, 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.

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton
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%.

What kind of kitchens do we fit in New Milton?

In and around New Milton, homes range across Victorian terraces, 1930s semis, post-war estate houses and thatched and brick cottages. Terraces in Southampton and Portsmouth often have a narrow back kitchen, while post-war estate houses tend to have a compact rectangular room suited to an L-shape.

Dense terraced streets can be very tight for parking, and New Forest lanes and village roads may limit the size of delivery vehicle. Water across Hampshire is mostly hard, largely from chalk sources, so limescale on taps and boiling water taps is common and a filter can help.

Do you need approval for kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton?

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.

Homes within the New Forest or South Downs national parks, listed cottages and conservation areas may need consent for a new extractor vent or alterations to historic features.

Tips before you start

If the house is listed or has solid walls, ask whether lime plaster is needed before the old plaster in your kitchen is stripped out.
Before final decorating in your New Milton kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
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.
Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry fully, so plan for a mist coat first and the final colour once it has dried.

Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in New Milton

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in New Milton?

Guide prices in New Milton are about £400 to £920 including VAT for skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.

Do you work near New Milton as well?

Yes. As well as New Milton itself, we cover the rest of Hampshire and nearby towns such as Christchurch and Lymington. The process is the same wherever the kitchen is.

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 near New Milton

The same service is available a short drive from New Milton, including: