Paint Preparation & Repairs

Filling, sanding, caulking and priming — the unseen work that makes a paint job last.

What it includes

A flawless finish lives or dies on preparation. Kevin treats every surface with care: filling cracks and holes, sanding back uneven plaster, caulking gaps, taping clean lines and priming bare patches. It's the work most people skip — and the reason his finishes still look immaculate years later.

Plaster repair, filling and sanding
Caulking and joint sealing
Priming, undercoating and stain-blocking
Damp and stain treatment before painting

Start to finish

What's involved

So you know exactly what Kevin will be doing in your home, and in what order.

Reading the surface
Kevin checks each wall and ceiling in raking light for hollow plaster, hairline cracking, old wallpaper paste, nicotine or water staining and previous bad filling — because each of those needs a different treatment, not just another coat.
Making good
Cracks are raked out and filled properly rather than smeared, holes and dents filled in layers, damaged corners rebuilt with beading where needed, and blown patches cut back and re-skimmed so the wall reads flat.
Sanding flat
Filled areas and old brush marks are sanded back, mostly with dust-extracted sanders to keep the mess down, until the surface is smooth to the hand as well as to the eye.
Caulking and sealing
The gaps around skirting, architrave, coving and stair strings are caulked and wiped to a clean line. This is what removes those dark shadow lines and makes a repaint look like new joinery.
Priming and sealing
Bare plaster gets a mist coat, filler and repairs are spot-primed, resinous knots and water or smoke stains are sealed with a stain block, and glossy woodwork is keyed so nothing bleeds or peels later.

Good to know

Timings, disruption and practicalities

Preparation is included in every painting quote — it is only priced separately when it is a big plaster repair or stain problem.
Expect roughly a third to a half of the time on site to be preparation, before any colour goes on.
Sanding creates fine dust, so Kevin seals doorways and uses extraction, but soft furnishings are best moved out.
Damp needs its cause fixed first — Kevin will tell you straight if painting would only hide it.