Painting & Decorating

Recognising a good painter/decorator tips? Or what to spot early in a bad one?!

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.36 PM

Hello - any tell tale good signs in selecting a good painter - or dismissing a bad one? It's a bit obvious I suppose, with a good one breaking down their written quote, meticulous detail and so forth. Less than a year ago I had a - let's say a friend of a friend - who's a painter to trade to paint my kitchen. It was a good nice bloke, good manners and well dressed - but unfortunately I did the very wrong thing and mistake his niceness for a competent job. I got a very basic written quote that included my paint but no specifics on what brand, how many coats, etc. I was a bit over a barrel to use anyone else as this tradesperson lives rather close. Anyhow, on first sight, thought it was great. Then saw the sockets painted around. Spray on the worktops. The door handles and hinges painted over. Brush marks everywhere. Cracking, paint drips and no filling or sanding. Window frame was so obviously bad, I didn't have the heart (or courage) to say anything. Meranti hardwood + standard white emulsion, you can see all the nail holes...The wall emulsion comes off the previously newly plastered walls even if I use no-mark painters tape... Am I being too picky? It was a two man job, done in three hours, approx. 8m2, walls, ceilings, skirts, architraves, two doors, window frame. Similar quotes above and below from others had mentioned they'd sand, fill and caulk so I had assumed that was 'the usual', and the most expensive guy would've replaced and cut to fit new skirting over three days...it pays not to assume or to pick someone familiar. It's my mistake to have chosen this person, and it's too late to fix, without ruining an otherwise very good civil relationship.