Kitchen plastering and decorating in Northolt

Thinking about kitchen plastering and decorating in Northolt?

Once the old kitchen is out in a Northolt home, the walls behind it are often patched, chased and uneven, and a skim gives the new units a sound surface.

Homeowners in Greater London 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. We work throughout Northolt (UB5) and across the wider Greater London area.

What does the job involve?

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

Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room
Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
Walls re-boarded or skimmed so units and tiles fix to a flat surface

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in Northolt

Use these ranges to plan your budget. They include VAT, reflect costs in London, and are firmed up once we have seen your Northolt kitchen. Expect costs in London to sit somewhat above UK averages, reflecting local labour rates.

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in Northolt
Typical project	Guide price
Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed	£460–£1,000
Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall	£1,200–£2,300
Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork	£520–£1,600

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%.

Local homes and their kitchens

The housing mix across Greater London includes Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian terraces often have a narrow galley beside the side return, while conversion flats and mansion blocks usually fit the kitchen into a small room or along one living-room wall.

Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day. London's mains water is hard, so limescale builds quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth planning in.

Regulations for kitchen work in Northolt

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.

Conservation areas are widespread across London, so a new extractor vent on a front wall may need permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's written consent first.

Getting the most from your kitchen plastering and decorating

Before final decorating in your Northolt kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
If your Greater London home was built before 2000, arrange an asbestos test on any textured ceiling before plastering is booked, so the programme is not held up.
Keep a small tin of each paint used in your Northolt kitchen, labelled with the colour and finish, for touching up marks around handles and the bin.
Older homes with solid walls may have lime plaster, which is often better repaired with lime than gypsum, particularly where the building is listed.

Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in Northolt

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Northolt?

For skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, budget around £460 to £1,000 including VAT in Northolt. That reflects typical costs in London; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Which parts of Northolt do you work in?

All of them. Our Greater London coverage takes in the whole of Northolt, including the UB5 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Greenford. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

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.

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.

Nearby places we cover

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