Kitchen plastering and decorating in Southsea

When does kitchen plastering and decorating make sense in Southsea?

If your Southsea 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.

After a knock-through in a Southsea home, the new opening, beam and surrounding walls need plastering before the new kitchen goes in, then decorating once the plaster has dried. Kitchens in every part of Southsea are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Hampshire.

What is in a typical job?

Here is what usually goes into kitchen plastering and decorating, adjusted to your Southsea kitchen after we have measured it:

Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
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
Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room
Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos

Kitchen plastering and decorating prices in Southsea

As a starting point for Southsea, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South East. Expect costs in the South East to sit somewhat above UK averages, reflecting local labour rates.

Kitchen plastering and decorating prices in Southsea
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%.

Fitting kitchens in older and newer Southsea homes

In and around Southsea, 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.

Building regulations, electrics and gas in Southsea

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.

Planning ahead

Photograph the walls of your Southsea kitchen before plastering, showing where cables and pipes run, so you know where not to drill when fitting shelves later.
Ventilate your Southsea kitchen gently while new plaster dries, but avoid blasting heaters at it, as forcing it dry can cause cracking.
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.
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 Southsea

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Southsea?

Guide prices in Southsea 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 cover all of Southsea?

Yes. We work across Southsea, including the PO4 postcode district, and nearby towns such as Portsmouth and Gosport. Book a free survey visit and we will arrange a time that suits you.

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.

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

We also carry out kitchen plastering and decorating in these towns near Southsea: