Insurance decorating in Cambridge after a leak
Insurance decorating means putting a room right after an escape of water: a burst pipe, a leaking bath or shower, an overflowing tank in the loft, or rain through a roof. We take on this kind of insurance work in Cambridge homes, redecorating ceilings, walls and woodwork once the leak is fixed and the room has dried out.
Graham visits, looks at the damage, and writes a quotation setting out what the room needs. You can send that to your insurer with your claim. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer; our arrangement is with you. We don't find leaks, dry buildings out or carry out damp surveys, so those steps come first, from the right people.
Before the decorating: stop the water, then let it dry
The first job is always stopping the water. That might be a plumber, a roofer, or the neighbour upstairs fixing their shower. If water has come through near a light fitting or socket, turn the power off at that circuit and have an electrician check it before anyone works in the room.
Then the room has to dry, and that takes longer than most people expect. A ceiling can look dry within days while the plaster behind it is still holding water. How long it takes depends on how much water there was, the type of plaster, how warm and ventilated the room is, and the time of year. If your insurer sends drying equipment or someone to take moisture readings, that all happens before we start.
Paint on damp plaster tends to blister, flake, or grow mould, and a fresh tide mark can appear as the last of the water works its way out. So we would rather wait and paint once.
What a water-damaged room usually needs
Every leak is different, but the work tends to fall into a few groups. Graham will tell you on his visit which apply to your room, and where another trade is needed.
Ceilings
A plasterboard ceiling that has only stained can be sealed and painted. One that has sagged, gone soft or split at the joints usually needs the damaged board cut out and replaced, which our plasterers or master builder can do. Old lath-and-plaster ceilings are heavy, and if one is bowing after a leak, keep out of the room until it has been looked at.
Walls and wallpaper
Wet wallpaper lifts at the seams and bubbles. It normally needs stripping, and the plaster underneath making good, then lining paper or new paper hung once the wall is dry. Painted walls may need fresh filling where the surface has softened.
Woodwork and floors
Skirtings and door frames can swell or split. Minor damage can be filled and repainted; badly swollen timber is a job for our carpenter. Water-marked wooden floors can sometimes be sanded back and refinished by Chris, our wooden floor specialist.
A quotation your insurer can read
Insurers usually ask for evidence of the damage and a written quote for putting it right, though each one works differently, so check what yours wants. A few things help:
- Photograph the damage before anything is moved or cleaned up
- Note the date the leak happened and when it was fixed
- Keep an offcut or the roll label of any damaged wallpaper
- Find the name and code of the original paint colour if you have it
Matching the rest of the room
Graham's written quotation sets out each surface, the preparation, the materials and any other trade needed, so it is clear what the figure covers. It also explains where a repair can't sensibly be confined to the damaged patch. New paint touched into an old ceiling usually shows, so the whole ceiling is normally repainted corner to corner. If the wallpaper has been discontinued, a full room may need new paper to match.
What your policy pays for is for your insurer to decide, and we won't guess on their behalf. Where the water has left a brown ring that only needs sealing, our page on water and nicotine stain painting explains how the mark is blocked so it doesn't return.
From replastered ceiling to finished room
New plaster needs to dry fully, then a thinned mist coat before the top coats, so the paint grips and any imperfections show while they can still be put right. We followed that order on a Cambridge bedroom we stripped and skimmed, and on a three-storey hall, stairs and landing the ceilings were replastered before any decorating began. Our plastering page covers that side of the work.
A Checkatrade customer in CB6 wrote: "We had some Work done recently by Sam, after we had Damp issues in our Downstairs Toilet. His Decorating was to a very high standard."
What changes the cost of the work
- How many rooms, and how much of each, the water reached
- Whether ceilings need replacing or only sealing and painting
- Wallpaper stripping, lining or rehanging
- Repairs to woodwork, and any carpentry or floor work
- Repainting whole surfaces so the finish matches
Booking the visit
Call or message us once the leak is fixed, even if the room is still drying, so Graham can see the damage and plan the work. He will send the written quotation, usually by email, ready to forward. When the room is dry we prepare, paint and tidy up each day, and you don't pay until you're happy with the finished work. Our interior decorating page explains how we work more generally.
