Kitchen plastering and decorating in St Andrews

Why kitchen plastering and decorating for a St Andrews home?

Landlords in Fife often have a kitchen redecorated between tenancies, filling fixing holes and repainting walls and woodwork in a scrubbable finish that stands up to regular cleaning.

Some people in St Andrews are keeping their units but want the whole room redecorated in a tougher, wipeable paint after years of steam and cooking marks. Kitchens in every part of St Andrews are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Fife.

What does the job involve?

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

Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos
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
Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in St Andrews

The figures below are guide prices for St Andrews, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across Scotland. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Costs across Scotland tend to sit under UK averages, which these ranges reflect.

Guide prices for kitchen plastering and decorating in St Andrews
Typical project	Guide price
Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed	£330–£750
Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall	£850–£1,700
Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork	£380–£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%.

What kind of kitchens do we fit in St Andrews?

The housing mix across Fife includes pantiled fishing cottages, sandstone tenement flats, post-war council-built houses and new-build estates, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Fishing cottages in the coastal villages often have a tiny kitchen at the back, while ex-council houses and new-builds around Dunfermline and Glenrothes tend to have compact L-shaped rooms.

Fife's mains water is soft, so limescale is rarely a big concern and taps and boiling water taps tend to stay cleaner. Narrow coastal village streets with little parking can make deliveries tricky, while new-town estates usually have easier access for vans and long worktops.

Regulations for kitchen work in St Andrews

In Scotland, replastering and decorating a kitchen do not normally need a building warrant or planning permission. Listed buildings may need listed building consent before original plaster, cornicing or other historic features are removed, and older solid stone or brick walls may be better suited to lime plaster than gypsum. If you plan to add insulation or alter walls rather than simply replaster, check with the local authority's building standards team first.

Listed cottages and conservation areas, including St Andrews and the East Neuk villages, may need consent for a new vent on a visible wall.

Worth knowing before the fit

Before final decorating in your St Andrews kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
Keep a small tin of each paint used in your St Andrews kitchen, labelled with the colour and finish, for touching up marks around handles and the bin.
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.
If your home was built before 2000, have textured ceiling coatings tested for asbestos before anyone sands, scrapes or drills into them.

Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in St Andrews

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in St Andrews?

Guide prices in St Andrews are about £330 to £750 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.

Which parts of St Andrews do you work in?

All of them. Our Fife coverage takes in the whole of St Andrews, including the KY16 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Dundee. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

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.

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.

Kitchen plastering and decorating in neighbouring towns

Neighbouring towns where we offer kitchen plastering and decorating: