Painter and decorator in Saffron Walden, Essex
We'll be straight about the distance. Saffron Walden is a historic market town in north-west Essex, about 22 miles from our base in Landbeach, north of Cambridge. We travel there to decorate, and two Saffron Walden customers have reviewed our work, but we're a Cambridgeshire firm with no office in Essex. Graham drives down to see each project, and our decorators travel in for the length of the job.
If you're looking for a painter and decorator in Saffron Walden who is comfortable with older buildings, the town gives us plenty of those. It is known for its large number of listed and timber-framed buildings and the decorative pargeting on some of its older houses, with Audley End House just to the west. Victorian, twentieth-century and newer homes fill out the rest of the town.
Reviews from Saffron Walden customers
Fenella Ashton had Simon and Wayne from our team decorating her house: "I am very happy to recommend Graham. Simon and Wayne were very thorough and the house now looks beautiful. I shall certainly use them next time I need any decorating completed."
Fiona Flynn, also in Saffron Walden, wrote: "Courteous, conscientious and reliable. Very tidy and respectful of our home. Would use again."
Both reviews come back to the same things: thorough work and respect for the house. In an older property, with uneven floors, old timber and furniture that can't easily be moved, that care matters as much as the paint. We sheet down every room we work in and clear up at the end of each day.
Decorating timber-framed and listed houses
Timber frames move with the seasons, and old infill panels and plaster need to let moisture out. Sealing them under modern, non-breathable finishes can trap damp, which is why conservation advice usually favours breathable paints on historic walls. Graham will look at what's already on the surfaces and talk through suitable products before anything is specified.
If your house is listed, some changes to its character, inside or out, may need listed building consent from Uttlesford District Council. Speak to their conservation officer before changing exterior colours or removing original features, and we'll work to what's agreed.
We've decorated listed property before. In central Cambridge we cleaned up a studio flat in a listed building, stain-blocking years of nicotine build-up before repainting and adding a feature wall.
Exposed beams are common in timber-framed houses. Where they're bare wood rather than painted, oil is often a better fit than paint. In Fulbourn we oiled the beams and kitchen worktops of a converted telephone exchange with Osmo, which protects the timber and leaves the grain visible.
Services we bring to Saffron Walden
Inside older houses, our period-sensitive interior decorating covers walls, ceilings, beams and joinery, with the preparation done properly first. Georgian and Victorian houses often keep their original windows, and our sash and case window repairs can bring sticking or rattling sashes back into use before they're repainted.
Simon, one of the two decorators Fenella Ashton mentions, is our wallpaper specialist, so traditional and designer wallpaper is a natural fit for the town's older rooms.
Old floorboards can be sanded back and oiled by Chris, our wooden floor specialist. In Haddenham, near Ely, he sanded dining and living room floors and finished them in Osmo Polyx tint oil in Gold; the gold-oiled floor restoration shows it from start to finish.
Outside, we paint render, brickwork, windows and doors, with a jet wash and anti-fungal treatment first where there's mould or algae.
Planning a job 22 miles away
Travel time is part of any job this far out, so it often makes sense to group work together, say a couple of rooms and the hall in one booking, rather than arranging several small jobs separately. Graham can advise on the best order at the visit.
Every job is priced individually. Your written quotation, usually sent by email, sets out the full cost before we start, and we stick to it unless you ask for extras or something unforeseen comes up, in which case we agree it with you first.
Parking near the older streets in the centre can be restricted. If you have a drive or know a nearby space, tell us at the visit so we can plan. Belinda keeps you up to date during the job, and you don't pay until you're happy with the result.
