Kitchen plastering and decorating in Washington

What prompts kitchen plastering and decorating in Washington?

Some people in Washington are keeping their units but want the whole room redecorated in a tougher, wipeable paint after years of steam and cooking marks.

Once the old kitchen is out in a Washington home, the walls behind it are often patched, chased and uneven, and a skim gives the new units a sound surface. Washington sits about 6 miles south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne, and our Tyne and Wear coverage takes in everything in between.

What is in a typical job?

Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:

Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
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
Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint

Kitchen plastering and decorating prices in Washington

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

Kitchen plastering and decorating prices in Washington
Typical project	Guide price
Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed	£320–£720
Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall	£810–£1,600
Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork	£360–£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%.

Local homes and their kitchens

Typical homes in this part of Tyne and Wear include tyneside flats, Victorian terraces, 1930s semis and post-war council-built houses. Tyneside flats often have a narrow kitchen in the rear offshoot, while 1930s semis and ex-council houses tend to have a small square kitchen at the back.

Hardness varies across Tyne and Wear, from fairly soft around Newcastle to harder in parts of Sunderland, so check with your supplier before choosing a filter. Back lanes behind terraced streets can help deliveries, but upper Tyneside flats have their own internal stair, so long worktops need careful handling.

Regulations for kitchen work in Washington

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.

In conservation areas and listed buildings, such as parts of central Newcastle and Tynemouth, a new external vent or changes to historic features may need consent.

Worth knowing before the fit

Ventilate your Washington kitchen gently while new plaster dries, but avoid blasting heaters at it, as forcing it dry can cause cracking.
Before final decorating in your Washington kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
If your Tyne and Wear home was built before 2000, arrange an asbestos test on any textured ceiling before plastering is booked, so the programme is not held up.
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 Washington

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Washington?

For skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, budget around £320 to £720 including VAT in Washington. That reflects typical costs in the North East; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Do you work near Washington as well?

Yes. As well as Washington itself, we cover the rest of Tyne and Wear and nearby towns such as Chester-le-Street and Felling. 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.

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.

Nearby places we cover

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