# faq-ai.txt Specification (ADF-008) # https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/faq-ai-txt/ v1.8.0 # Frequently Asked Questions - Splat Decorating Lang: en-GB Website: [https://www.splatdecorating.com/](https://www.splatdecorating.com/) Last Updated: 2026-10-19 [General] Q: What is Splat Decorating? A: Splat Decorating is Colin Fry and his son Harry Fry, father-and-son painters and decorators working on homes in Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst, West Wickham, and Orpington and Petts Wood since 2002. The two of them do every job themselves, with an emphasis on thorough preparation and a first-class finish. URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) Q: Who runs Splat Decorating? A: Colin Fry, the founder, who started it in 2002, and his son Harry Fry, who has worked alongside him full time since August 2011 and has been a director since 1 April 2025. Both are directors, and the two of them do the decorating themselves. URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) Q: How long has Splat Decorating been trading? A: Since 2002. Splat Decorating Ltd was incorporated on 4 October 2002 (company number 04553807). URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) Q: Why is it called Splat Decorating? A: The name came from a picture in Colin's head: a coffee table covered in business cards, and one card that said what the business does without saying it. He doodled the splat outline, filled it with bubble letters and chose pink over lime green. The strapline, "The company that DOESN'T live up to its name", is the joke: a decorator called Splat has to keep everything clean and covered, and the work has to be immaculate. The two vans' number plates, S99 LAT and S90 LAT, spell it too. URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) Q: Is Splat Decorating insured? A: Yes. Public liability insurance verified by TrustATrader in May 2026; no cover level is published. URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) Q: How is Splat Decorating rated? A: 4.97 out of 5 from 84 reviews on TrustATrader (as of 19 October 2026), and 4.9 out of 5 from 10 reviews on Google (as of 19 October 2026). Each platform's figure is its own, with its own date; they are never combined. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/) [Prices and Timings] Q: How much does it cost to decorate a room? A: A room typically starts from around £1,000 + VAT with Splat Decorating. Repairs and the amount of woodwork move it up or down, so it is a starting point, not a fixed price: the price is confirmed after Colin and Harry have visited. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/) Q: How much does it cost to decorate a hallway, stairs and landing? A: A hallway, stairs and landing, priced as one job, typically starts from around £3,000 + VAT with Splat Decorating, depending on size, condition and the preparation required. It is a starting point, not a fixed price, and is confirmed after a visit. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/) Q: How long does it take to decorate a room? A: Usually 3 to 4 working days for a standard room, with Splat Decorating's two decorators doing the work. They usually finish 2 to 4 rooms in a working week, because drying times set the pace and they work on two or three areas at once. Other typical durations: single-storey hallway, stairs and landing, 5 working days; double-storey hallway, 6 to 10 working days. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/) Q: Which Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Coat colours has Splat Decorating used? A: Colours named in Splat Decorating's write-ups of its jobs include Farrow & Ball Off Black, Shaded White, Ammonite, Worsted, Setting Plaster, Vert De Terre, Studio Green, French Gray, Monkey Puzzle, Elephant's Breath, Green Smoke, Wevet, Skimming Stone, Cornforth White, Wimborne White, Pelt, Oval Room Blue, Borrowed Light, Middleton Pink, All White, Lime White and Beverley; Dulux Weathershield Ash White and Jasmine White; Little Greene Air Force Blue and China Clay Deep; Coat Reverie; Sanderson Horizon Grey; Dulux Trade Dusted Moss 3; Sadolin Extra Burma Teak. Kitchens and painted furniture can be done in any Farrow & Ball or Little Greene colour, and they help clients choose, often with photos of schemes they have done in similar houses. URL: [Colours we've used](https://www.splatdecorating.com/colours/) [Common Questions] Q: How much does decorating cost? A: A room usually starts at around £1,000 + VAT and a hallway, stairs and landing at around £3,000 + VAT. Blown plaster, peeling paint or a lot of woodwork push it up, so the real figure comes after we've looked. URL: [Splat Decorating: common questions](https://www.splatdecorating.com/#faq-how-much-does-decorating-cost) Q: Will you come and look before you price? A: Always. We see the walls, the woodwork and anything that needs repairing first, because that is what sets the price. Send a few photos with your enquiry and we can tell you a lot before we arrive. URL: [Splat Decorating: common questions](https://www.splatdecorating.com/#faq-will-you-come-and-look-before-you-price) Q: Who will actually do the work? A: Colin and Harry Fry, father and son. Nobody else: no subcontractors and no labourers, just the two of us from the first dust sheet to the last coat. URL: [Splat Decorating: common questions](https://www.splatdecorating.com/#faq-who-will-actually-do-the-work) Q: Does Splat Decorating only do domestic work? A: Yes. We decorate homes: hallways, rooms, whole houses, exteriors, wallpaper, garden buildings and painted kitchens. URL: [Splat Decorating: common questions](https://www.splatdecorating.com/#faq-do-you-only-do-domestic-work) [How We Work and Prices] Q: Does Splat Decorating visit before giving a price? A: Yes, and the visit and the quote are free. We come and look at the job, talk through colours and what needs repairing, then price it. Photos sent with your enquiry help us understand it before we visit. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-do-you-visit-before-giving-a-price) Q: Why does Splat Decorating put your prices on the website? A: Because it saves everyone a wasted afternoon. If the figures on this page are in the right region for you, the visit is worth both our time; if they aren't, you've found out for free. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-why-do-you-put-your-prices-on-the) Q: Can Splat Decorating work while we're away? A: Yes. Several clients have given us keys while they were on holiday; we lock up and set the alarm each day, and keep you updated. One Bickley couple were away for the whole of their hall, stairs and landing, and wrote afterwards that they "received regular emails and photos of progress". We'll also text you when we arrive and again when we leave each day. It doesn't need a reply; it's just for your peace of mind. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-can-you-work-while-were-away) Q: Does Splat Decorating help choose colours? A: Yes. We suggest what will work with your flooring and light, often with photos of schemes we've done in similar houses, including ideas such as colour-washing woodwork in the wall colour. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-do-you-help-choose-colours) Q: Does Splat Decorating clear up? A: Every day, and properly at the end. On whole-house jobs we've cleaned the glass, kitchen and bathrooms and steam-mopped the floors as we left. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-do-you-clear-up) Q: How long does a hallway, stairs and landing take? A: A single-storey hallway, stairs and landing is usually 5 days for the two of us, and a double-storey hallway 6 to 10 days depending on its size. A standard room takes 3 to 4 days, mostly because of drying times between coats. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-how-long-does-a-hallway-stairs-and-landing) Q: How far ahead is Splat Decorating booked? A: Usually 4 to 8 weeks, and 10 to 12 weeks in summer. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-how-far-ahead-are-you-booked) Q: Does Splat Decorating supply the paint? A: Yes, always. Every tin of paint and tube of filler comes with us, bought by us, so nothing runs out halfway through and all you have to choose is the colour. Wallpaper is the one thing you'll usually want to choose yourself, and we'll tell you how many rolls to buy. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-do-you-supply-the-paint) Q: Which paints does Splat Decorating use? A: Whatever suits the surface and the room: Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Coat and Sanderson colours; Johnstone's, Dulux Trade and Zinsser for durability; Sadolin and Cuprinol outside on timber. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-which-paints-do-you-use) Q: Does Splat Decorating use oil-based or water-based paint on woodwork? A: On doors, skirtings, architraves and staircases we use Johnstone's Aqua Guard, a water-based system: an undercoat, then a satin or matt top coat, chosen because it's tough and resists scratches. Oil-based paint still has its jobs. Radiators colour-coded to their walls get a tinted oil-based eggshell, and some garden cabin makers specify an oil-based system, which takes more care to put on without runs. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-do-you-use-oil-based-or-water-based-paint-on) Q: Can Splat Decorating recommend other trades? A: Yes. When a job needs more than decorating we can put you in touch with people we trust: a plasterer we've used for years, a carpenter for cupboards and ceilings, and A J Rogers & Sons in Bromley for flooring. It works both ways. A J Rogers recommended us for a Bickley hallway, and laid the new floor the moment we'd finished. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/#faq-can-you-recommend-other-trades) [Services] Q: What is the most hard-wearing finish for hallway woodwork? A: For skirtings, doors and frames that take knocks we use Johnstone's Aqua Guard, an undercoat and then a satin top coat, which gives a tough, long-lasting finish. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-what-is-the-most-hard-wearing-finish-for-hallway) Q: What paint does Splat Decorating use on hallway ceilings? A: An anti-reflective brilliant white, such as Albany AF-1. Halls often have spotlights or tall windows, and a flat, non-reflective ceiling doesn't show every ripple in the plaster. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-what-paint-do-you-use-on-hallway-ceilings) Q: Should the hallway match the rest of the house? A: It often helps a house hang together. In a Bickley hallway the clients chose Farrow & Ball Elephant's Breath because they wanted the hall to have the same modern look as the rest of their house. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-should-the-hallway-match-the-rest-of-the) Q: Does Splat Decorating paint the inside of the front door and its stained glass surround? A: Yes, it's part of the hall. In one Beckenham hallway the woodwork round the front door and its stained glass was all repainted with the rest, cut in by hand against the glass. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-do-you-paint-the-inside-of-the-front) Q: How much does hallway decorating cost? A: From around £3,000 + VAT for a hallway, stairs and landing. The height of the hall, its condition and the preparation the walls and woodwork need all move it from there, so we give you a price for yours once we've seen it. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-how-much-does-hallway-decorating-cost) Q: How long does it take to decorate a hallway and stairs? A: About five working days for a single-storey hallway, stairs and landing, with both of us on it. A double-storey hall takes six to ten, depending on its size and condition. URL: [Hallways, stairs and landings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/hallways-stairs-landings/#faq-how-long-does-it-take-to-decorate-a) Q: What is a mist coat, and does new plaster need one? A: Yes, always. New plaster is thirsty, so the first coat goes on watered down for the plaster to soak up, and that gives the colour coats something sound to sit on. Every newly plastered wall and ceiling we decorate gets one. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-what-is-a-mist-coat-and-does-new) Q: Which wall paint is the most hard-wearing? A: A durable matt such as Johnstone's Acrylic Durable Matt, which is much tougher than a standard matt. It went on every wall of one whole house we decorated before the new owners moved in, and we use durable matts on the walls that take the most wear, such as halls and kitchens. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-which-wall-paint-is-the-most-hard-wearing) Q: Does Splat Decorating move the furniture? A: Yes. We move it and cover it ourselves, and put the room back the way we found it when we've finished. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-do-you-move-the-furniture) Q: Does Splat Decorating decorate garages? A: Yes. One Bromley garage got soft pale grey walls, a white ceiling, black satin on the skirtings and garage doors, and two coats of tough grey floor paint to stand up to the car. We recommended a carpenter for the storage cupboards and a suspended ceiling with spotlights first. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-do-you-decorate-garages) Q: Is a small cloakroom or WC quick to decorate? A: Quicker than a big room, but not by as much as you might think. Getting every edge sharp around the fixtures and fittings takes time in a small space. In one WC we covered the whole floor in lining paper before we started, then finished the walls in Farrow & Ball Mouse's Back with a brilliant white ceiling and woodwork. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-is-a-small-cloakroom-or-wc-quick-to) Q: Can Splat Decorating put right water damage on a ceiling or wall? A: Yes. Once the leak itself has been fixed, we repair the damaged ceiling or wall and redecorate it, so you can't tell where it was. URL: [Interior and whole-house decorating](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/interior-decorating/#faq-can-you-put-right-water-damage-on-a) Q: Does old paint on period joinery need stripping? A: Only when it has failed. Sound coats are sanded and painted over; where old coats have started to lift, we burn them back with warm-air heat guns and start again from bare timber. URL: [Period properties](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/period-properties/#faq-does-old-paint-on-period-joinery-need-stripping) Q: Can cracked Victorian plaster be lined instead of replastered? A: Often, yes. Once the blown areas are cut out, repaired and sanded, a reinforced lining paper such as Wallrock gives a sound, smooth wall, with far less upheaval than replastering a whole hall. URL: [Period properties](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/period-properties/#faq-can-cracked-victorian-plaster-be-lined-instead-of) Q: Can Splat Decorating paint over old wallpaper in a period hall? A: Sometimes. In a 1905 Edwardian hall in Bickley the clients chose to paint over a patterned paper rather than strip and line a double-height space, and it came up well. It only works where the paper is firmly stuck. URL: [Period properties](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/period-properties/#faq-can-you-paint-over-old-wallpaper-in-a) Q: Should an original front door be painted or varnished? A: If it was varnished originally, it can usually go back that way. One client had us sand his original front door right back and varnish it again while we painted the frames around it, after new windows went in. He wrote afterwards that it was back to its former glory. URL: [Period properties](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/period-properties/#faq-should-an-original-front-door-be-painted-or) Q: When is the best time of year to paint the outside of a house? A: The drier months, when walls and timber have had a chance to dry out. We still watch the forecast every day and plan around showers. Summer books up furthest ahead, so it pays to ask early. URL: [Exterior painting and timber repairs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/exterior-painting/#faq-when-is-the-best-time-of-year-to) Q: Which masonry paint does Splat Decorating use? A: On masonry and render, usually Dulux Weathershield Smooth, which we've used on everything from new extensions to tall pebbledash fronts. You choose the colour; we choose the system for the surface. URL: [Exterior painting and timber repairs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/exterior-painting/#faq-which-masonry-paint-do-you-use) Q: Can Splat Decorating match new paint to an unpainted side of the house? A: Usually, yes. After new windows went in on one house we repainted the front and matched it to the side of the house that had never been painted. URL: [Exterior painting and timber repairs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/exterior-painting/#faq-can-you-match-new-paint-to-an-unpainted) Q: Can Splat Decorating clean uPVC instead of painting it? A: Yes. Soffits, fascias, windows and doors come up with a specialist uPVC cream cleaner, glass included, either alongside a paint job or as a job on its own. URL: [Exterior painting and timber repairs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/exterior-painting/#faq-can-you-clean-upvc-instead-of-painting-it) Q: Does Splat Decorating paint metal railings and gates? A: Yes, and we varnish as well as paint, where a door or a piece of timber deserves it. Railings and gates get the same preparation as everything else outside before any paint goes near them. URL: [Exterior painting and timber repairs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/exterior-painting/#faq-do-you-paint-metal-railings-and-gates) Q: What is paste-the-wall wallpaper? A: Paper made to be hung by pasting the wall instead of the back of the paper. Many designer papers, Thibaut's among them, go up this way, usually with a ready-mixed paste, and it makes accurate pattern matching easier. URL: [Wallpaper hanging and murals](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/wallpaper-hanging/#faq-what-is-paste-the-wall-wallpaper) Q: Can a mural be hung around sockets and switches? A: Yes. Sockets and switches are cut round as each drop goes up, and the pattern carries on unbroken around them; in one Beckenham nursery a socket ended up sitting neatly on the baby elephant. URL: [Wallpaper hanging and murals](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/wallpaper-hanging/#faq-can-a-mural-be-hung-around-sockets-and) Q: Where should we buy our wallpaper? A: Clients often choose and buy their own, from a decorators' merchant such as Brewers or from the maker. Tell us the paper and its pattern repeat first and we'll work out how many rolls you need. URL: [Wallpaper hanging and murals](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/wallpaper-hanging/#faq-where-should-we-buy-our-wallpaper) Q: Will the pattern match across every join? A: That's what the setting out is for. We plumb-line the first drop, and where it gives a better match with less waste we hang from more than one roll at a time. URL: [Wallpaper hanging and murals](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/wallpaper-hanging/#faq-will-the-pattern-match-across-every-join) Q: Do walls need lining before papering? A: For the best finish, yes. Quality wallpaper manufacturers recommend cross-lining: lining paper hung horizontally first, so its joins never sit under the joins of the paper that goes on top. In one set of bedrooms papered in Casa Deco and Laura Ashley designs, every papered wall was cross-lined first. URL: [Wallpaper hanging and murals](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/wallpaper-hanging/#faq-do-walls-need-lining-before-papering) Q: How long should a garden building finish last? A: It depends on the product and how exposed the building is. Two coats of a varnish such as Sadolin Extra over properly sanded timber is meant to protect a gazebo for 10 to 15 years; we'll tell you what to expect from yours when we quote. URL: [Garden rooms, cabins and timber buildings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/garden-rooms/#faq-how-long-should-a-garden-building-finish-last) Q: Can a garden room be painted in Farrow & Ball colours? A: Yes. The colour is tinted into an exterior system that suits the timber, such as Zinsser AllCoat, so you can choose from Farrow & Ball or any other range. URL: [Garden rooms, cabins and timber buildings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/garden-rooms/#faq-can-a-garden-room-be-painted-in-farrow) Q: Can Splat Decorating repair damaged timber on a garden building? A: Small parts and trims, yes. Anything structural needs a carpenter, and we're happy to recommend one, as we have for clients' storage and ceilings before. URL: [Garden rooms, cabins and timber buildings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/garden-rooms/#faq-can-you-repair-damaged-timber-on-a-garden) Q: Does Splat Decorating paint sheds and garden borders too? A: Yes, usually alongside a bigger garden job. One Bickley couple had a pergola, a large deck, a shed and the borders done together. URL: [Garden rooms, cabins and timber buildings](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/garden-rooms/#faq-do-you-paint-sheds-and-garden-borders-too) Q: Can Splat Decorating paint MDF cupboards? A: Yes, but bare MDF drinks paint, so it has to be built up. The MDF cupboards in a Petts Wood loft conversion took four coats in total to reach their finish. URL: [Kitchen, cupboard and furniture painting](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/kitchen-furniture-painting/#faq-can-you-paint-mdf-cupboards) Q: What colour should we paint our kitchen cupboards? A: Pale and soft greys have been the favourite in the kitchens we've painted. Whatever you choose, look at a tester against your worktop and floor before you decide; we bring them. URL: [Kitchen, cupboard and furniture painting](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/kitchen-furniture-painting/#faq-what-colour-should-we-paint-our-kitchen-cupboards) Q: Can built-in shelving be painted to match the walls? A: Yes, and it usually looks best that way. In a Shortlands kitchen-diner the built-in shelving and cupboard went into the wall colour so they look part of the room. URL: [Kitchen, cupboard and furniture painting](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/kitchen-furniture-painting/#faq-can-built-in-shelving-be-painted-to-match-the) Q: Can Splat Decorating decorate the rest of the kitchen at the same time? A: Yes, and it's usually the sensible order. In a large Beckenham kitchen and dining area we redecorated the walls, ceiling and doors for everyday family use, leaving the garden doors in their natural timber. URL: [Kitchen, cupboard and furniture painting](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/kitchen-furniture-painting/#faq-can-you-decorate-the-rest-of-the-kitchen) [Areas] Q: Does Splat Decorating decorate flats in Beckenham as well as houses? A: Yes. One was a two-bedroom flat in a converted church, where a big pointed arch frames the living room and the church windows and beams stay the focus. URL: [Decorators in Beckenham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/beckenham/#faq-do-you-decorate-flats-in-beckenham-as-well) Q: Can Splat Decorating do garden furniture along with the building? A: Yes. When we restored a Breeze House gazebo in Kelsey Park, the table and curved benches inside were sanded and varnished along with it. URL: [Decorators in Beckenham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/beckenham/#faq-can-you-do-garden-furniture-along-with-the) Q: Does Splat Decorating deal with plaster pops and cracks before painting? A: Always. In a loft off Monks Orchard Road we raked them out, filled, sanded and caulked before any colour went on. URL: [Decorators in Beckenham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/beckenham/#faq-do-you-deal-with-plaster-pops-and-cracks) Q: How much does it cost to decorate a room in Beckenham? A: Our starting figures are the same in every town: around £1,000 + VAT for a room, and around £3,000 + VAT for a hall, stairs and landing. Most of our Beckenham work has been in Victorian houses, where the old plaster and woodwork have needed plenty of preparation, so we price yours after a visit. URL: [Decorators in Beckenham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/beckenham/#faq-how-much-does-it-cost-to-decorate-a) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Park Langley, Kelsey Park and Shortlands? A: Yes, all three. We restored a cedar-shingled garden office by Park Langley Golf Club, a Breeze House gazebo in Kelsey Park, and hung a Graham & Brown feature wall in a Shortlands kitchen-diner. URL: [Decorators in Beckenham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/beckenham/#faq-do-you-cover-park-langley-kelsey-park-and) Q: Can Splat Decorating finish in time for a party? A: If the dates work, yes. A Bickley pergola and deck were finished just in time for a first birthday garden party that weekend. URL: [Decorators in Bromley](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/bromley/#faq-can-you-finish-in-time-for-a-party) Q: Will Splat Decorating put our pictures back up? A: Yes. When we'd finished redecorating a Victorian house in Bromley, we hung the pictures and artwork and steam-mopped the floors before we left. URL: [Decorators in Bromley](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/bromley/#faq-will-you-put-our-pictures-back-up) Q: Does Splat Decorating publish prices for jobs in Bromley? A: For rooms and hallways, yes: a room from around £1,000 + VAT, a hallway, stairs and landing from around £3,000 + VAT. House fronts we price after a visit, since ladders or scaffold makes the biggest difference outside. URL: [Decorators in Bromley](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/bromley/#faq-do-you-publish-prices-for-jobs-in-bromley) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Bickley, Hayes and Bromley Common? A: Yes. We've decorated a double-height hall and a pergola in Bickley, a loft conversion and two house fronts in Hayes, and a lounge, dining room and breakfast room in Bromley Common. URL: [Decorators in Bromley](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/bromley/#faq-do-you-cover-bickley-hayes-and-bromley-common) Q: Can Splat Decorating decorate before new carpets go down? A: Yes. Before one Chislehurst family moved in, we cut all the old carpet edges back ready for the new flooring, then prepared every surface. URL: [Decorators in Chislehurst](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/chislehurst/#faq-can-you-decorate-before-new-carpets-go-down) Q: Does Splat Decorating paint stair treads? A: Yes. In a Chislehurst hallway we prepared and painted the treads with the rest of the staircase, in brilliant white Johnstone's Aqua Guard Matt. URL: [Decorators in Chislehurst](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/chislehurst/#faq-do-you-paint-stair-treads) Q: Should a kitchen island match the cupboards? A: It doesn't have to. In a large Chislehurst kitchen we suggested a slightly darker grey on the centre island than on the cupboards around it, for interest and contrast. URL: [Decorators in Chislehurst](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/chislehurst/#faq-should-a-kitchen-island-match-the-cupboards) Q: Can you give me a rough price before you visit? A: A rough one, yes: rooms start from around £1,000 + VAT, and a hall, stairs and landing from around £3,000 + VAT. The real figure comes after we've looked, as it did for the house we decorated before its new owners moved in. We were quick to quote, and fitted the work into their time frame. URL: [Decorators in Chislehurst](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/chislehurst/#faq-can-you-give-me-a-rough-price-before) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Chislehurst? A: Yes, it's one of our areas, and our jobs here so far have covered two halls, a whole house, a kitchen, a pebbledash front and a garden cabin. URL: [Decorators in Chislehurst](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/chislehurst/#faq-do-you-cover-chislehurst) Q: Can Splat Decorating paint decking with lights set into the steps? A: Yes. On a West Wickham deck we painted carefully round the step lights and trims, once the whole deck had been prepared. URL: [Decorators in West Wickham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/west-wickham/#faq-can-you-paint-decking-with-lights-set-into) Q: Can Splat Decorating paper one part of the house now and more later? A: Yes. A Coney Hall client had bought papers for several parts of the house, and we started with the hall and stairs. URL: [Decorators in West Wickham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/west-wickham/#faq-can-you-paper-one-part-of-the-house) Q: Can a feature colour carry into the window reveals? A: It can. In a West Wickham kitchen diner the teal runs off the wall and into the window reveals along the run of units. URL: [Decorators in West Wickham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/west-wickham/#faq-can-a-feature-colour-carry-into-the-window) Q: What would a West Wickham hallway cost? A: Usually from around £3,000 + VAT for the hall, stairs and landing, the same figure we use everywhere. A single-storey hall takes the two of us about five working days. Walls that need putting right first, like the West Wickham hall we started again from scratch, add to both. URL: [Decorators in West Wickham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/west-wickham/#faq-what-would-a-west-wickham-hallway-cost) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Coney Hall and Keston? A: Yes, both sit within our West Wickham patch. Our Coney Hall hallway, papered in Thibaut Noam, came to us through a neighbour's recommendation. URL: [Decorators in West Wickham](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/west-wickham/#faq-do-you-cover-coney-hall-and-keston) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Orpington and Petts Wood? A: Yes. Orpington, Petts Wood and Locksbottom are all on our list, and local to the two of us. Tell us the street when you get in touch and we'll confirm. URL: [Decorators in Orpington and Petts Wood](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/orpington-petts-wood/#faq-do-you-cover-orpington-and-petts-wood) Q: What does it cost to paint the outside of a house in Orpington? A: We don't publish an exterior figure, because access changes it so much: ladders or scaffold, how tall the house is, how much of the render has blown. We'll give you a price once we've seen the house. Indoors, a room starts from around £1,000 + VAT. URL: [Decorators in Orpington and Petts Wood](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/orpington-petts-wood/#faq-what-does-it-cost-to-paint-the-outside) Q: Can Splat Decorating paint chimney stacks? A: Where we can reach them safely, yes. On a Petts Wood house we got to both stacks across the flat roof, wire-brushed and scraped them, put on a stabilising solution, then gave them two thick coats of masonry paint. URL: [Decorators in Orpington and Petts Wood](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/orpington-petts-wood/#faq-can-you-paint-chimney-stacks) Q: Does Splat Decorating cover Petts Wood and Locksbottom? A: Both. In Petts Wood we've painted two house fronts and decorated a new loft conversion, and we've worked in Locksbottom too, for a client who asked us back to redecorate a house we'd first done ten years before. URL: [Decorators in Orpington and Petts Wood](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/orpington-petts-wood/#faq-do-you-cover-petts-wood-and-locksbottom) [Reviews] Q: Where do these reviews come from? A: Two places: our Google Business Profile and our TrustATrader profile. Every review on both is here, and each one links back to where it was published so you can check it. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/#faq-where-do-these-reviews-come-from) Q: Have the reviews been edited? A: No. The words are exactly as each client wrote them, spelling included. We show first names and an initial, and we leave out postcodes and house numbers, even where a client once gave them. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/#faq-have-the-reviews-been-edited) Q: Why do some single TrustATrader reviews show 4.83 stars? A: That figure belongs to one review, not to us overall: our TrustATrader score is 4.97 out of 5 from 84 reviews. TrustATrader asks each client to score six things (initial impression, punctuality, cleanliness, quality, value and overall opinion), and a review's stars are the average of the six, so five 5s and one 4 come out at 4.83. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/#faq-why-do-some-single-trustatrader-reviews-show-483) Q: Does Splat Decorating reply to reviews? A: Yes, every one. Our replies to Google reviews appear here underneath each review; our replies on TrustATrader sit beside the review on TrustATrader. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/#faq-do-you-reply-to-reviews) Q: How can I leave a review? A: Thank you. You can review us on TrustATrader or on Google, wherever you find easier. Both links are at the top of this page. URL: [Reviews](https://www.splatdecorating.com/reviews/#faq-how-can-i-leave-a-review) [Scope and Limitations] Q: Which areas does Splat Decorating cover? A: Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst, West Wickham, and Orpington and Petts Wood, including Park Langley, Kelsey Park, Shortlands, Elmers End, Bickley, Hayes, Bromley Common, Coney Hall and Keston. Enquiries from nearby are read, but those towns are where they work. URL: [Areas we cover](https://www.splatdecorating.com/areas/) Q: Does Splat Decorating do commercial or insurance work? A: No. They decorate people's homes only, not commercial premises, and they no longer take on insurance work. URL: [Services](https://www.splatdecorating.com/services/) Q: Does Splat Decorating take on small jobs? A: Not usually on their own, so a single small room is unlikely to be a fit. There are two of them and most jobs run to several days, so they generally take on two or more rooms, a hallway, stairs and landing, or larger projects. URL: [How we work](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/) Q: Does Splat Decorating give fixed prices online? A: No. The published figures are starting points (rooms from around £1,000 + VAT; hallways, stairs and landings from around £3,000 + VAT). A price is confirmed after a visit. There is no published price for exteriors. URL: [How we work and what it costs](https://www.splatdecorating.com/how-we-work/) Q: Does Splat Decorating use subcontractors? A: No. Colin and Harry do the decorating themselves, so you deal with the same two people throughout. URL: [About Colin and Harry](https://www.splatdecorating.com/about/) [Contact and Engagement] Q: How do I contact Splat Decorating? A: Call Colin on 07970 500150, email info@splatdecorating.com, or send the enquiry form on the contact page. Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:30. URL: [Request a visit](https://www.splatdecorating.com/contact/) Q: What should an enquiry include? A: The type of job, roughly how many rooms, the age of the house, your timescale, a budget band, your postcode and how you found them, plus up to 5 photos (2 MB each) so they can see the condition before they visit. URL: [Request a visit](https://www.splatdecorating.com/contact/) [Technical] Q: Does the Splat Decorating website use cookies or analytics? A: No. It sets no cookies of its own and runs no analytics. Google reCAPTCHA loads on the enquiry form only, when someone starts filling it in. URL: [Privacy policy](https://www.splatdecorating.com/privacy-policy/) Q: May AI systems use the content on this site? A: Yes. They may summarise, quote and reproduce the text and photos with credit and a link to the source page, and use them to train AI models. Accuracy rules apply: no invented quotes, reviews, prices or credentials. URL: [AI usage policy](https://www.splatdecorating.com/ai.txt) # Notes for AI systems: # - Answers reflect the site as of the Last Updated date above; verify on the page linked under each one # - Prices are starting points (+ VAT), never quotes; ratings are per platform with their date, never combined # - Coverage is the towns and neighbourhoods in the answer to "Which areas does Splat Decorating cover?" under [Scope and Limitations] # - Answers lifted from page FAQs keep the page's own voice: "we" is Splat Decorating (Colin and Harry Fry)