Questions & Advice

The safety and well-being of you and me is of the utmost importance to me. I will adhere to all safety guidelines during this difficult time. I regularly disinfect my hands throughout the day. If I am working in your home, I can respect social distancing.

I have also completed a Covid19 induction course carried out by the Construction Industry Federation, Ireland.

Yes, you can browse my Portfolio here.

Yes. I hand-paint all kitchens on site.

A new kitchen will cost about €5,000 – €15,000 on average, whereas a hand-painted kitchen will be a fraction of the cost but will feel like a new kitchen.

The whole process usually takes 1 – 2 weeks, depending on the size of the kitchen. I start by cleaning down the timber with Krud Kutter or a similar degreaser. Then I sand the timber. After that I remove all doors & hinges. And then I paint. A hand-painted kitchen will require an appropriate adhesion primer, then a coat of undercoat, followed by 2 top coats.

The doors will then be reassembled and you’re free to enjoy your new kitchen at a fraction of the cost.

No. I feel I’m not skilled enough at wallpapering and therefore I always advise homeowners to hire a wallpaper expert separately to me.

There’s no point in me telling you otherwise, charging you, and then doing a bad job – that’s not how I operate.

There are many types of finishes with paint, and they all differ in terms of interior, exterior & timber.

Interior: – Matt; a very flat finish with little to no shine on the walls. It’s the most common finish that people prefer in their house, but it might not be suitable if you have small children or pets as it’s quite a hard paint to clean.

– Soft-sheen; this is a paint with a medium shine to it. It costs a little bit more to buy, but it’s preferred by homeowners with small children or pets in their home as the walls are easily wiped clean.

– Washable matt; this has the advantage of being a matt finish with washable properties. It is now very common in houses especially as an alternative to soft sheen.

Exterior:  –  Most of the exterior paints, whether it’s Colourtrend, Dulux, Crown etc, will have a certain amount of a shine in them, but it’s not very noticeable.

Timber:    There are 2 types of bases in timber paint. Oil based & waterbased. Oil based was more commonly used in the past. It’s a tougher paint but the downsides are it takes very long to dry and leaves a strong odour that will stay in the home for a few days. It’s not suitable where there are children or pets in the house as the drying times and odour will impact on their use of the house for at least 12 hours.

Waterbased paint has become more commonly used today. The plus side of this paint is that it dries very quickly and the odours are quite low. Most waterbased satinwood or gloss now have improved since they were first introduced to the market. They are more durable than before and rival oil based now for their toughness.

Whether you choose oil based or waterbased timber paint, the following applies in terms of their finish;

– Satinwood; a flat finish with only minimal shine. It’s more commonly used nowadays.

– Eggshell; a very flat finish.

– Gloss; very shiny paint/varnish

In my opinion Colourtrend or Fleetwood is by far the most superior paint on the market for both interior & exterior. They may be a little bit more expensive, especially the interior paint, compared to other brands, but it’s worth it.

For interior, a 10 litre bucket of Colourtrend in a colour is about €120 for matt emulsion. Ceramic Matt is their best paint for walls, but it’s priced at about €130 per 10 litre bucket of colour. Fleetwood on the other hand is a cheaper alternative but with similar results.

For exterior, Fleetwood is the best paint for all exterior work. For a 10 litre bucket of Fleetwood in a colour it will cost about €65, whereas Colourtrend will cost about €85 euro per 10 litres. I find that Fleetwood holds up to the elements of the Irish weather better.

For wood such as doors, skirting, architrave & stairs a 5 litre can of Colourtrend satinwood waterbased will cost about €80. Fleetwood will cost about €70 and I feel it is a better paint and more durable.

The best branded paints are Colourtrend, Fleetwood & Dulux. But paint quality varies from product to product depending on what it is that is being painted.

The better the brand, the better the finish. A cheap brand will take longer to apply and will need more coats to cover, it won’t last as long or look as well. In the long run, cheaper paint costs more!

If you’re supplying the paint, I will advise which brand I think is the best for the job in question.

If I’m supplying the paint I will discuss with you before work is carried out which brand I’d recommend and if it’s within your budget I’ll use it.

I prefer to use good quality brands of paint because they give a better finish and last longer. Colourtrend, Fleetwood & Dulux, etc.

I work alone 99% of the time so you won’t have to worry about there being any more than 1 in your house at any given time.

Yes. If you’re away for a few days, you can leave the keys with me and I will do my best to have the job completed before you return. Of course, this depends on my availability and also the physical location of the job.

No, you don’t need to be at home; most people are working and give me a key; I ensure that when I leave, that the house or property is locked up securely.