How fast should a painter and decorator work?

Sausage11

Hello,

I'm having a house refurbished. The walls are freshly plastered. We're not looking for anything complicated.

How many rooms a day should a painter be able to do?

Silver-Surfer_2

A few variable here, are we to assume the rooms are empty?

What about the woodwork is that new or has it been painted before?

What about doors and window boards?

I'd be worried about anyone who can do one room completely in a day yet your asking how many he can do.

Sausage11

Yes, rooms are empty. No woodwork in the rooms yet. Property is being prepared for rental.

No doors to do. Windows will be replaced so nothing required there.

Silver-Surfer_2

Well taking out any mist coats and preparation.

Day one.

Ceiling, primer undercoat woodwork.

Day two.

Walls

Day three.

Top coat woodwork.

If the rooms aren't too big you can do more than one in a day.

Sausage11

With the lack of woodwork, presumably you can you apply the coats and then move on to the next room, then return once dry? If so, how many rooms could you do over a period of time?

Silver-Surfer_2

How many rooms are there?

Three bed house a good painter should do in a week.

Lack of woodwork, so this property has no doors, skirting, architrave or window cills?

Sausage11

6 bedrooms (average about 11 sq m), 1 dining kitchen (20 sq m), 1 small toilet, small shower room and bathroom.

Currently no doors, skirting and window cills. We do have architraves in place.

SunReader

Fresh plaster needs to dry thoroughly and will need extra coats. New woodwork if well fitted reduces the prep job and could give a better finish but may need extra coats.

If you squeeze them too hard on the price you'll likely get a poor job.

The difference between using extra coats and quality materials costs more time and money but gives a much better finish also for light colours the place looks much brighter.

The 1 week estimate is too low imo, double and more I think. My friend a pro decorator for 20 years and did a 6 bed house in 7 looong days - this was his fastest, it was just a one coat 'freshen up' on what he had done in the same colours 5 years previously. A new build will be a lot more to do right imo.

Silver-Surfer_2

Sausage11 wrote: »

6 bedrooms (average about 11 sq m), 1 dining kitchen (20 sq m), 1 small toilet, small shower room and bathroom.

Currently no doors, skirting and window cills. We do have architraves in place.

How many reception rooms? I have the feeling this is a student let. I personally wouldn't paint until the woodwork is fitted.

phill99

This is something we do day in, day out. A typically sized room (14' x 14') assuming minimal, I always allow 2 days. Typically the second day is shorter. This includes 2 coats on ceiling and walls and 2 undercoat & 1 gloss/satinwood on woodwork. In your situation, allow a little over 1 day per room, so realistically 3 days for two rooms. As others have said, don't push them on price as it will mean revisiting the job sooner than you think. Allow for decent trade quality paints - Dulux Trade/ Crown/ Macphersons/Johnstones.

Owain_Moneysaver

If you want the whole house painted magnolia get commercial painters who spraypaint.