What is the best paint for woodwork?
The best paint for woodwork is Colourtrend. See our blog on “The best interior paint and woodwork”.
What is the best paint for interior walls?
The best paint for walls is Colourtrend and Colourtrend Ceramic Paints. See our blog on “The best interior paint and woodwork”.
Do I need to be at home while the painting and decorating is being carried out?
No, you do not need to be at home, most people are working and give us a key, we ensure when we leave each evening that the house is locked up securely.
How long is it going to take to do the Painting?
This depends on the size of the job and how many men are working on it.
I was thinking of having my painting done when I go away, is this possible?
Yes, many of our clients when getting extensive work done go away and leave us in charge of looking after their home, for complete decoration, and they come back to a new home. Contact us for references.
Do I have to move my furniture?
We can move all your furniture, take down pictures and curtains, and put it all back up when we are finished. However this is time-consuming, so we generally suggest that you move all small items and as much other stuff as possible, this way it takes us less time to do the job.
Do you fill all holes and cracks?
Yes, we generally sand and fill all the walls and woodwork where needed. When we write our quotation we state exactly what you will get for the money you are spending.
Will there be much dust created?
There will always be dust created when preparing for painting. The extent of repairs on walls and ceilings generally determine how much dust is created. However, we painstakingly cover all furniture and flooring and vacuum up meticulously each and every day using our own vacuum cleaner.
Will you be doing the work yourself?
I am on-site as much as possible supervising all work, and doing as much as possible to expedite the job.
Who else will be working in my home?
All Impressions Painting and Decorating personnel are professional painter decorators. They are all vetted before working, and generally have been with the company for years and are completely trustworthy.
What kind of paint is used, Will it be smelly?
Most emulsion paints are low odour. You can choose oil paint for your woodwork, this has a strong odour but is far less than it used to be as they are being phased out in favour of water-based paints which are very low odour and faster drying.
If you hand-paint my kitchen is it possible to change my handles in the process?
Yes, you can change the handles on your kitchen when you are getting it hand-painted. See our “Kitchen Transformation” blog for an example.
Do you use organic paints? Are they environmentally friendly?
Yes, we can use organic paints, but like water-based paints, it took a while for the quality to come up to standard. The technology used to produce organic paints is improving all the time so they will become more commonplace.
Can you give advice on picking colours?
Yes, we offer a full-colour consultancy.
Will you put up samples?
Yes, indeed we will put up samples for you, or give you advice on where the best places are in a room to give you the right idea of how the colour will look in your room.
Do you hang wallpaper?
Yes, we have an expert wallpaper hanger who only hangs wallpaper.
Do I have to strip my wallpaper or can it be painted over?
Yes, it is possible to paint over wallpaper depending on how good the wallpaper is fixed on the wall.
Can I have more than one colour in a room? A feature wall? Will it cost much more?
Yes, you can have as many colours as you like. We also paint and wallpaper feature walls. Each colour will cost the price of the paint, it does take longer to do different colours so you will be charged time and materials.
What if I change my mind on the colour halfway through the job?
You can change your mind whenever you like. We will help you with samples beforehand, so hopefully you will have a good idea of what it will be like to avoid such a scenario. If we do have to change it will be charged at time and materials.
Is it possible to mix expensive colours into a generic base?
Yes, you can mix more expensive colours into generic brand bases to achieve more or less the same effect.
Do you charge for giving quotations?
All quotations and consultations are free of charge.
How many coats of paint will you be painting on the walls ceiling and woodwork?
Generally, we quote for two coats of paint on all surfaces, unless otherwise stated.
What is the best floor paint? How do I paint my floor?
There many types of floor paint, both water-based and oil-based, for industrial use and domestic. See our blog on “What is the best floor paint and how do I paint my wooden floor” for more information.
Can you paint tiles?
Yes, you can paint tiles with special tile paint and primers.
Can you paint my laminated shaker-style kitchen and my laminated wardrobes? Will the paint stick?
Yes, with the proper primers and preparation we can do a beautiful new paint job on your laminate kitchen. You can see examples of this type of work in our blog on painting laminated kitchen units and wardrobes.
Do I have to use a special paint in my bathroom and kitchen?
No, you do not have to use special paints, but there are recommended paints for kitchen and bathrooms such as “soft sheen” paints which handle moisture better and are wipeable.
Do you paint furniture, kitchen cabinets also?
Yes, we paint all sorts of kitchen and bathroom furniture/cabinets, etc. for expert cabinetmakers. Here you can see examples of our hand-painted kitchen work and our hand-painted bathroom units.
Can you paint my marble fireplace or mantlepiece?
Yes, it is quite possible to paint stone or marble given the right preparation. You can read our blog about “How to prepare marble” where we painted the marble surround of an Aga.
I have other odd jobs I need doing, can you help me with them?
We use two very skilled handymen for our handy work, some of which we can sometimes do ourselves free of charge, depending on what it is.
Will you supply the paint? Or do I buy it myself?
Generally, we insist on buying the paint as this ensures a high-quality paint that is suited for the job and that will include the required amounts of coats.
Do dark colours cost more?
Some colours when very dark are categorised as “low hide” colours. This means they have more pigment than base colours, so it takes many more coats to get a definition of colour. As a result, this takes longer so will cost more.
Can you match and paint RAL colours?
Yes, if you give us the reference we can match most RAL colours quite accurately.
How long should I wait before closing my windows and doors after they have been painted?
With oil-based paints, you should try to leave doors and windows open for as long as possible – 8 hours perhaps. We also suggest that you open them periodically over the following days to ensure they do not stick. For water-based paints, a couple of hours is generally ok, but again opening them regularly afterwards for a few days to ensure that they do not stick. This is because water-based paints may dry more quickly but take a long time to cure and harden.
My exterior walls are flaking, can you help?
There can be several reasons for this and yes we can help with all of them. From lime-based plaster, which will need a breathable paint, to walls that need to be stabilised with a primer before painting.
Can you get rid of brown stains on our ceilings?
Yes. This is mostly caused by water damage. We can use a stain block before painting and your stains will be gone for good. And if they are not gone it means you still have a leak.
We have brown marks on our woodwork, what is the cause? And can you fix them?
The cause of this is that whoever painted the wood first did not use a knotting solution on the knots in the wood. We wrote a blog explaining why knotting wood before painting is important. A knotting solution prevents stains in the wood from happening. We use a shellac-based primer before re-painting which will sort out the problem of the stains in your woodwork.
How long have you been in business?
We’ve been in business since 1991 – that’s 28 years this year!
Do you have examples of finished work?
Yes, we have many examples of finished work, both interior and exterior painting and decorating all over Dublin and beyond. You can see examples of all of our work on our Painting and Decorating Gallery.
Do you have references?
Yes, you can contact us for references or read some of our painting and decorating testimonials on the website.
How much is the VAT on painting and decorating?
The VAT on painting and decorating as a service is 13.5%.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, all Impressions Painting and Decorating workmen are fully insured. We have both EL and PL insurance.
