Painting after plastering: what to agree before booking the decorator

The plastering is finished, the room looks almost ready, and you want the decorator booked. But the date the plasterer leaves is not automatically the date painting can start. Before fixing the next stage of a refurbishment, agree how the new surfaces will be checked and which paint system will be used.

For South West London homeowners, landlords and managing agents, this is a small decision with consequences for the programme. A clear handover between plastering and decorating helps everyone price the same work and avoids treating drying time as an afterthought.

Ask about readiness rather than a fixed number of days

A newly skimmed wall and a deeper repaired area should not be given an identical decorating deadline without assessment. Ask the contractor what has been applied, where the deeper repairs are and how they will establish that the surface is ready.

Johnstone’s Trade advice says new plaster must dry thoroughly before its Covaplus Vinyl Matt system is applied and suggests checking with a moisture meter. Its advice for that product includes a slightly thinned first coat followed by full coats. That is product-specific guidance, not a universal recipe for every paint or plaster.

Your decorator should check the instructions for the actual materials selected. Ask them to explain what would delay painting and how a revised date would be communicated. Avoid making a tenancy handover or furniture delivery depend on an unverified drying assumption.

Record which walls are new, repaired or retained

A quote that says “paint all walls” can hide several different starting surfaces. Mark the freshly plastered areas on a room plan, identify retained painted surfaces and note any stain or patch that needs investigation.

For example, a hypothetical Streatham flat refurbishment might include a newly skimmed living room, small repairs around relocated sockets and retained walls in the hallway. The decorator needs to know about all three. They may require different preparation even where the same colour is used throughout.

Keep a simple record of who is responsible for checking the plaster, preparing the surfaces and approving the start of decoration. If separate contractors are involved, decide who resolves a problem identified at that handover.

Do not ask paint to solve a moisture problem

If an old water stain returns, tell the contractor before the final finish is applied. Johnstone’s guidance says the cause of a water stain must be rectified and the surface fully dry before its stain-blocking treatment and finish are used. Covering the mark alone does not address the cause.

That matters when work is intended to prepare a property for sale or letting. Put suspected leaks or damp patches into the repair brief, rather than leaving them as a colour-choice issue. A photograph can help an initial conversation, but it is not a diagnosis.

Choose the finish while there is time to test it

Agree colours and finishes before the decorator is ready to order. Write down the manufacturer, product, colour reference and intended surface. “White” or “washable matt” is not enough to reproduce a selection later.

Try samples in the room where they will be used. The same manufacturer explains that lighting and time of day can alter how a colour appears. A north-facing room in Battersea and a bright adjoining kitchen may make the same shade feel different; judge the sample alongside the fittings you are keeping.

Also ask how the finished coating should be cared for. Keep the product information with your refurbishment records so future touch-ups start with the correct specification.

Put the sequence into the scope

Before agreeing the decorating stage, confirm:

• Which surfaces have been plastered and when that work finished.
• Who checks that each surface is ready for decoration.
• The preparation and first-coat system for the chosen products.
• How unresolved stains or moisture concerns will be assessed.
• The colour and finish schedule, including ceilings and woodwork.
• Protection for fitted kitchens, floors and other completed work.
• Who will communicate any change to the agreed programme.

Our guide to comparing refurbishment quotes helps you check these allowances across competing proposals. Where decoration is part of a full house or flat refurbishment, include it in the room-by-room plan rather than treating it as a final unspecified extra.

Planning plaster repairs and decoration?

Tell OSPM about your property, including your South West London postcode, the rooms involved and whether the surfaces are new plaster, existing paint or a mixture. Mention any recurring stains and your intended handover date. Those details help us discuss the preparation, scope and sequence before the work is booked.