Beckenham has a lot of substantial late Victorian and Edwardian housing, especially around the park and up towards Copers Cope, and a good proportion of it was divided into flats decades ago. That division is what most of the plastering work here comes out of: walls put in where there were none, cornice interrupted halfway across a room, and ceilings that have had a bathroom put above them.
The rooms are generous and the ceilings are high, which makes them pleasant to work in and slower than they look. A reception room in a house like this has a lot more wall area than the same room in a thirties semi, and the coving run is longer and more detailed.
Cornice worth keeping
Where original cornice has survived, it is usually worth saving and it is cheaper to save it than to replace it. Ceilings get overboarded up to the cornice rather than through it, and where a section is missing because a wall was moved, the run can be taken from a mould of the original and carried back across the gap.
What does not work is butting modern coving up against a period profile and hoping. The joint is visible from the doorway and it makes the whole room read as patched. If the original is too far gone, the honest answer is to take the whole run off and put a consistent one back.
Working in a converted flat
A flat in a converted house means somebody lives above and below, and that shapes the job more than the plastering does. Noisy work goes early in the day, common parts get sheeted rather than walked across, and waste leaves on a schedule instead of stacking up in a shared hallway.
If there is a lease with working hours in it, or a managing agent who wants notice, that is worth saying at estimate stage. It changes the programme rather than the price, and it is far easier to plan around before the first day than to discover on it.
“Good honest business, we called SMB after we had a bad experience with previous contractors. ... The work is immaculate (we had our house skimmed), the detail, care and attention is spot on.”
“Frank and Steve did a fantastic job on my hallway! Really professional team and their work is seamless. I was really impressed, and they even fixed my skirting board and put it back on for me, a very appreciated extra! Would highly recommend.”
“They did a great job. I had an awkward hallway area and a large ceiling to skim. I thought they'd finished earlier in the day as it looked great to me then, but they went over the whole area to make sure that the finish was perfect.”
“Excellent work! Scott plastered our living room including some tricky details around fireplace and bay window. Great finish looks really good, all the work was tidy and well communicated all done on time. Would highly recommend.”
“Frank completed a wall for me that needed plastering, he was on time, very polite and nothing seemed an issue. ... Although only a small job, kept my house tidy, even outside the house, cleaned up after he finished and done a perfect job, highly recommended from myself.”
“Hi, Had the team in plastering for a week. What a joy. There were no problems they turned up on time everyday and very polite. Would recommend them to anyone. Thanks very much guys.”
“I don't often leave reviews, but Frank was so helpful and pleasant to work with that he deserves 5 stars. Very responsive and professional. He did a great job and left our place clean and tidy. Thanks again Frank!”
“Frank very kindly stopped by to plaster a chipped wall. Perfectly done and really helpful and kind guy. 100% calling if I ever need any more plastering done!”
“Although we didn't require any work, Frank was extremely helpful and knowledgable on his visit to inspect our issue. He was prompt and on time and responded quickly.”
“Very, very happy with Franks work finishing off kitchen walls after having been let down by a builder. It was a tricky job as the granite worktops ect had already been installed but I couldn't be happier with the result.”
“Really happy with the work. Great finish and very professional. Turned up on time, kept things tidy, and did a top-quality job. Would definitely recommend.”
“very pleasant experience in communication and the level of service provided. tradesman was very polite. He came around for a diagnosis before outlining the job in details with cost and what needs doing.”
“Just had Scott round, Arrived on time started straight away and just got on with the job. Pleasant at all times clean & tidy worker will definitely use again. Work looks good and he stuck to his price. Thanks Scott was was good to meet you.”
“Very professional, was very clear on what exactly will be done. Agreed a price and kept me update all the way through. Happy with the work completed and after care as well. Very helpful and highly recommended.”
“Scott called me before booking a date to come and do work. He reasured me about somethings i was worried about. He come in time he said he would and helped me with another job as well. Very helpful and happy with service”
“Great job by Scott plastering the small room, he managed to sort out the uneven ceiling and walls. Will be using Scott again to sort out a couple of other rooms.”
