Decorating · Bournemouth, Poole & Dorset
Decorating: Communal
& Commercial
Across Bournemouth & Dorset.
Communal decoration, redecoration cycles, external paintwork and post-works make-good: specced, scheduled and signed off to a published programme. Resident-aware delivery, neat finish lines, and a colour spec that lasts the cycle rather than the season.
FDIS Qualified · Firequal Qualified · BS 8214 Compliant · Bournemouth-Based
Service Overview
Decorating:
The Brief, In Plain English.
What It Is
Internal communal decoration, external elevation paintwork, post-works make-good, redecoration cycle programmes (typically 5, 7 or 10-year), individual demise decoration on inter-tenancy turnaround, and specialist coatings on lift-area joinery and bin-store doors.
Who It's For
Managing agents and freeholders on block redecoration programmes, commercial landlords on common-parts and demised commercial decoration, housing providers on portfolio cycles, and contractors needing a competent decoration sub on refurbishment finals.
When You Need It
On 5-10 year communal cycles, on inter-tenancy turnaround, on FRA-driven works close-out (re-decoration following remedial works), on commercial fit-out completion, and on planned external elevation cycles.
Why It Matters
Decoration on a block is the visible expression of the maintenance regime. Done badly, it lasts 18 months and looks tired through the rest of the cycle. Done properly, it carries the building cleanly to the next planned cycle and removes the reactive paint-patch overhead in between.
What Happens If You Wait
The Cost Of
Doing Nothing.
Bad communal decoration shows up everywhere: uneven sheen across patched walls, lap marks on long elevations, soft edges on switch plates and skirtings, and paint that washes off within 12 months of a cleaning cycle. The cost shows up as a redecoration that should have run 7 years coming back at 4.
Risks Of Ignoring It
- →Cycles compressing from 7 years to 4: adding 60% to lifetime decoration cost.
- →Resident-facing dissatisfaction from poor coverage and visible patching.
- →Coatings that fail under cleaning regime: soft eggshells in lift lobbies, vinyl matt in stairwells.
- →External paint failure from poor surface prep: peeling within two winters.
- →Insurance claim repudiation on post-incident make-good where decoration spec can't be evidenced.
Common Mistakes Customers Make
- ×Specifying matt paint on cleaned surfaces: washes off, looks patchy.
- ×Skipping the mist coat on fresh plaster: top-coat lifts inside 12 months.
- ×Using interior paint on bin-store doors: fails in one season.
- ×Painting over previous-cycle issues without surface prep: patches show through within months.
- ×Single-coat finish on dark-over-light or light-over-dark: coverage is never quite right.
Our Process
First Call To
Final Sign-Off.
01
Inspection
Site visit at an agreed access window: measurements, photographs, scope and constraints recorded against your reference.
02
Diagnosis
Findings written up against the standard, BS or building safety case clause they relate to, with severity and priority assigned.
03
Proposal
Itemised quote, programme, RAMS and product/competency evidence: sent to the distribution list you nominate.
04
Works On Site
Tidy, resident-aware delivery. Dust control, drop sheets, daily clear-up and notified working hours. One named lead on site.
05
Sign-Off & Handover
Photographic completion pack, certificates and product traceability documents supplied for your file.
Why It's Worth It
What You
Actually Get.
Cycle-Length Finishes
Coatings specced for the cleaning regime: eggshell or scrubbable acrylic in lift lobbies, durable acrylic eggshell on woodwork, anti-mould in lobby ceilings.
Safer Surface Preparation
Pre-1980s buildings handled with lead-paint protocol; surface dust controlled with HEPA extraction where required.
Longer Re-Decoration Intervals
Properly specced and applied communal decoration runs the full intended cycle: extending interval from 5 to 7-10 years on most blocks.
Lower Lifetime Cost
Adding 2-3 years to the redecoration cycle removes one full cycle from a 30-year building lifetime: six-figure saving on most blocks.
Reliable Programme Delivery
Programme-managed delivery with resident notification, daily sheeting protocol, evening clear-down and weekly progress.
Peace Of Mind On Spec
Sample boards, colour pulls and spec sheets supplied at quote: no surprises at handover.
In Detail
Decorating,
Every Variation Covered.
Materials, methods and the situations each variation applies to, so you know what you're buying before you buy it.
Working across
Bournemouth · Poole · Christchurch · Wimborne Minster · Ferndown · Blandford Forum · Dorchester
Full Service Area MapCommunal stairwells and lobbies
Two-coat acrylic eggshell on walls and ceilings (typically Dulux Diamond Eggshell or Tikkurila equivalent), full surface prep including dust-down, hole-fill and sand. Skirtings and architraves in acrylic gloss or eggshell to match.
Communal corridors
Scrubbable acrylic matt or eggshell on walls (Dulux Trade Diamond Matt). Skirtings and doors in acrylic eggshell. Door colour to match block-wide spec sheet.
External elevations
Sand-and-cement render: Sandtex masonry, Dulux Weathershield, or specialist breathable masonry coating. Two-coat on prepared substrate, with mortar repair and crack-stitching where required first.
Bin-store and refuse doors
Specialist exterior eggshell or polyurethane single-pack on cleaned and primed metal substrate. Replacement-grade paintwork rather than re-spray.
Inter-tenancy demise decoration
Standard 2-coat throughout flat: walls in matt, woodwork in eggshell. Standard turnaround 2-4 days for a 1-bed, 3-5 days for a 2-bed including all prep, fill and sand.
Post-works make-good
Decoration following any building, plumbing or fire-safety remedial: coordinated to follow the upstream trade with no second mobilisation cost.
Specialist coatings
Anti-mould in shower rooms and bathrooms (Zinsser Perma-White or equivalent), anti-graffiti on external high-traffic surfaces, intumescent paint on structural steel where required (within competence).
Questions
Straight
Answers.
Cost, timeline, documentation, lifespan, availability: the questions everyone asks, answered before you call.
Ask YoursHow much does a block redecoration cost?
+
Typical small-block (under 30 doors) communal redecoration runs £15,000-£35,000 supplied and delivered including prep, fill, sand, two-coat finish and resident notification. Larger blocks priced per area and complexity. Sample area worked before full programme starts.
How long does a communal redecoration take?
+
Small block (under 30 doors) typically 2-3 weeks. Medium block (30-60 doors) typically 4-6 weeks. Larger blocks phased to keep stairwell and corridor access intact at all times.
What's the lifespan of a communal decoration cycle?
+
Properly specced communal decoration on a moderate-traffic block should run 7-10 years. High-traffic lobby zones (lift areas, entrance corridors) may need spot re-do at 5 years. Bin-store doors typically 3-5 years for refresh.
Do you do external elevation paintwork?
+
Yes: render, brickwork (where appropriate), fascias, soffits and rainwater goods. Coordinated with our roofing team where access requires shared scaffold.
How do you minimise disruption to residents?
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Notification leaflet 7-14 days ahead, daily sheeting protocol, evening clear-down with no overnight work-in-progress in common parts, fast-curing coatings to free corridors within 2-4 hours.
What paint brands do you use?
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Dulux Trade, Tikkurila, Zinsser and Sandtex are standard. Spec sheet supplied with quote: including colour reference, sheen level and coat count. Substitutions only with written approval.
Do decoration materials carry a manufacturer warranty?
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Paint manufacturer warranties (typically 5-15 years on external masonry coatings) are supplied where applicable and passed to you with the completion paperwork.
Can you decorate flats on inter-tenancy turnaround?
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Yes: 2-4 day turnaround on a 1-bed including prep, fill and 2-coat finish. Coordinated with our general building team for any carpentry or sanitary make-good.
Do you handle post-fire or post-flood make-good?
+
Yes: direct or via loss adjuster, with plastering and joinery make-good handled in-house first. Single contractor, single sign-off.
On The Job
Decorating & Wider Novopro Work.
A rolling gallery from live and recently completed jobs across Dorset and Hampshire.
Next Step
Plan Your Next Redecoration Cycle: Book A Spec Visit.
Site survey within our coverage area, written quote issued after the visit, no obligation. Bournemouth-based, covering Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire and the South Coast.
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