Decorators

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Simon
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Decorators

Post by Simon »

I got some decorators in to finish prepping and painting the dining room that we started a few weeks ago, because frankly, I really couldn't be bothered.

We didn't go for the cheapest, but the one who had most positive reviews on MyBuilder.com and who seemed the most capable of sorting out the issues prior to painting. Issues included:

1) Sorting a hole in the ceiling as a result of the light relocation back to the original position after the last owner moved it.
2) Sorting a gap in the wall where the breakfast bar met the wall, previously covered by a bit of wire trunking.
3) Some holes in the access panel covering the heating manifold.

Etc etc.

He said he could sort 1) as he had an original artex sponge in his van (no, I don't want the whole thing skimmed what with a potential extension on the cards in a couple of years). 2 and 3 were easy etc.

And yet I stand in the room this evening after his '2 days' quote and he was actually on site for less than a day and a half. I look around and see a number of things that he didn't sort and where I did a much better job myself in the nursery and the office room. Like:

1) the corner tape had blown when we steamed off the wallpaper. Rather than gluing it down, filling, sanding then painting, he's just painted straight over the top.
2) His monkey labourer filled in the radiator mounting holes in wall thinking it was an access panel to something, rather than seeing the radiator pipes just 30cm away that would've indicated that a RADIATOR GOES HERE.
3) The repair in the ceiling was a bodge with regular plaster and using his fingers to mould a bad artex pattern. It shows.
4) Where there were scraps of wallpaper where the walls met the ceiling, rather than using a wet sponge to soften and remove it they've painted straight over it.
5) I actually had to argue with them this morning to fix a corner beading which was bowing out right by the light switch but again, they'd just painted straight over. His monkey even suggested putting a tack in it to hold it down. Wow, right at eye level too.
6) The cutting in (something I thought a professional decorator was good at) was actually pretty poor. My 'gorilla tape' method gets much better results.

Sigh.

I got them in to save my wife some decorating pain of me taking a couple of weeks to do it and to get it done to a high standard. I'm so disappointed. If I'm going to pay top dollar to have it done I expect it to be at least as good as I (an amateur) could've done myself. I got him to quote for the lounge and hall/stairs/landing, but frankly I haven't got the heart to have them do it.
Last edited by Simon on Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sundayjumper
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Re: Decorators

Post by Sundayjumper »

I have to say, we’ve had similarly bad results from decorators, even ones who were personally recommended. I’m can only assume normal people have extremely low standards.
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Simon
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Re: Decorators

Post by Simon »

Sundayjumper wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:23 pm I have to say, we’ve had similarly bad results from decorators, even ones who were personally recommended. I’m can only assume normal people have extremely low standards.
I strongly suspect this is it.

The effect when you walk in the dining room is fine. To most eyes it looks like a nicely painted room. But when you look closely it's all the detail that's just not done well. Honestly, I may have taken longer but there's no question that I do a better job.
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V8Granite
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Re: Decorators

Post by V8Granite »

Yep the same as our experience.

Painted over a socket even though it had been pulled forward.

Crap cutting in.

Put up wallpaper we didn’t know had been bleached by the sun, so one section is a different shade.

The best though was we asked him to use the old paint as a base coat as the entire downstairs is one colour as it’s open plan. He then finished with it after finishing off the new tub so we have no touch up paint for the entire downstairs and no-one can colour match it even slightly close.

Now any touch up requires a full wall paint.

Never again.

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Barry
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Re: Decorators

Post by Barry »

My entire ground floor needs decorating but I don't have the inclination to do it all myself (would take ages) but tales such as these continue to put me off paying a "professional" to do it, as I fear I would have a similar reaction to poor workmanship. It's a dilemma for sure.
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Beany
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Re: Decorators

Post by Beany »

Yeah, most houses I've lived in have been 'recently renovated' - with paint on glass, poor detail work, etc.

It does make me wonder what these people are paying for other than not doing the work themselves, because fuck it, they aren't living in it.

I mean, how hard is it to put some painters tape around some window frames? :?
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nuttinnew
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Re: Decorators

Post by nuttinnew »

You need to get JL to do it. I'm sure he said he'd be a benevolent decorator.
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Sundayjumper
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Re: Decorators

Post by Sundayjumper »

Most painter/decorators got into the business because their previous jobs as brain surgeons weren't challenging enough. FACT.
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Re: Decorators

Post by integrale_evo »

My parents had their bathroom and kitchen done by highly recommended local tradesmen who had been around for decades and got great reputations.

Honestly, the fit and finish on both is no better than you’d expect from a fairly average diyer, especially some of the detail / edge work.

They had a problem with the tap on the sink so rang the manufacturer who suggested taking the filter off the end, which my dad did, and found it full of lumps of plumbers silicone.

Absolute basics like that shouldn’t ever be an issue when you’re paying someone a not insignificant amount of money for a full start to finish job.
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Re: Decorators

Post by Jobbo »

I’ve been really lucky with decorators. Very fortunate to find one at short notice 3 years ago to do our entire house between completion and moving in (2 of the 3 weeks we’d allocated - they worked the weekend and did it in a week and a half) and my rental place last year (did the whole place in a week). Both times there was no furniture, empty house and carpets were going down when they’d finished.

I didn’t ask them to do prep work other than minor filling of picture hook holes because that’s not what they do. I’m glad I’ve still got their details because it’s not a job I enjoy at all.
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: Decorators

Post by Swervin_Mervin »

Jobbo wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:44 pm I didn’t ask them to do prep work other than minor filling of picture hook holes because that’s not what they do.
This, this and this again.
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Orange Cola
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Re: Decorators

Post by Orange Cola »

I hate anything to do with home improvement. Doing it yourself, especially wallpapering, I find a complete drag and I’m now avoiding any DIY after years and years of undoing someone else’s bodge jobs. I keep thinking about paying someone to do it but I read things like this and it puts me right off.

Some people spend their entire lives doing work during the week then coming home to more DIY, doing it most weekends for themselves or family members. Fuck that.
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jamcg
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Re: Decorators

Post by jamcg »

integrale_evo wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:28 pm My parents had their bathroom and kitchen done by highly recommended local tradesmen who had been around for decades and got great reputations.

Honestly, the fit and finish on both is no better than you’d expect from a fairly average diyer, especially some of the detail / edge work.

They had a problem with the tap on the sink so rang the manufacturer who suggested taking the filter off the end, which my dad did, and found it full of lumps of plumbers silicone.

Absolute basics like that shouldn’t ever be an issue when you’re paying someone a not insignificant amount of money for a full start to finish job.
To be fair the silicone on the tap will have been from the manufacturer, they use silicone grease on the internal cartridges- but if it was causing an issue it should have been picked up on when testing it
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Simon
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Re: Decorators

Post by Simon »

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:46 pm
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:44 pm I didn’t ask them to do prep work other than minor filling of picture hook holes because that’s not what they do.
This, this and this again.
When decorator and I were chewing the fat on Thursday we both agreed that most of the time was the prep. The actual painting was a small part of it.
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Rich B
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Re: Decorators

Post by Rich B »

Simon wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:53 am
Swervin_Mervin wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:46 pm
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:44 pm I didn’t ask them to do prep work other than minor filling of picture hook holes because that’s not what they do.
This, this and this again.
When decorator and I were chewing the fat on Thursday we both agreed that most of the time was the prep. The actual painting was a small part of it.
Simon on Thursday.

Image
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Simon
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Re: Decorators

Post by Simon »

:D
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McSwede
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Re: Decorators

Post by McSwede »

We have access to a great decorator from the village we used to live in. He came and painted all our freshly plastered ceilings and painted 3 walls then lined and papered a feature wall in the daughters bedroom. As he'd got on well he then painted the inside of the daughters built in wardrobe and the airing cupboard just so they looked nice when we got back. It all looks fantastic and is far, far better than if we'd done it ourselves.

He'll be coming back soon to do the rest of the house. Very reasonable too which makes it even better.
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Rich B
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Re: Decorators

Post by Rich B »

Meh, the decorators I have used do a far better job than I could.
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Mito Man
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Re: Decorators

Post by Mito Man »

I started painting the bedroom in my flat a few years ago and found it utterly soul destroying. Called up the local Eastern European chaps who do everything and they painted the whole place in a weekend. They did a good job to be fair, removed all the chrome sockets and halogen fixings and didn’t paint anything they shouldn’t have. It was all Scandi white though.
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Re: Decorators

Post by Jobbo »

Simon wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:53 am
Swervin_Mervin wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:46 pm
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 11:44 pm I didn’t ask them to do prep work other than minor filling of picture hook holes because that’s not what they do.
This, this and this again.
When decorator and I were chewing the fat on Thursday we both agreed that most of the time was the prep. The actual painting was a small part of it.
Prepping the surfaces to take paint and make sure there are no blemishes, yes; but doing anything involving more than a tiny blob of filler, such as plastering an area, no. Get a plasterer in first.
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