Wood Painters in Reading

Hardwood interior joinery in period properties throughout Reading and the Thames Valley includes solid oak and hardwood skirtings, window shutters, panelled doors, and staircase components. These surfaces take paint and stain differently from softwood and require appropriate products.

Where the existing finish is in poor condition, we strip back to bare timber. Oil-based systems applied to clean hardwood produce a result that is both more beautiful and more durable than topcoating over a failing existing finish. Georgian townhouses in Henley-on-Thames with original shutters and panelling respond particularly well to this approach.

Exterior timber surfaces include window frames, fascias, soffits, gates, garden structures, and cladding. These surfaces face the full force of the Thames Valley’s wet winters, with additional moisture challenges on riverside properties in Sonning, Purley-on-Thames, and Pangbourne.

We specify the right exterior timber system for each surface based on the timber type, its exposure, and the degree of weathering. Microporous exterior paints are used on period joinery in original timber to prevent moisture trapping. For the full exterior scope, see our exterior painting page.

Some timber surfaces are better finished with a stain or oil than with paint. Hardwood garden furniture, decked areas, and outbuildings in the riverside villages are often stained rather than painted to enhance the grain and protect without building a film. We advise on the right finish type for each surface and application.

Interior hardwood such as oak flooring surrounds, oak door frames, and exposed beam surfaces are sometimes finished in an oil or varnish rather than paint. For deck treatment specifically, see our deck painting page.

Woodwork that has been painted repeatedly without proper preparation builds up a thick, uneven film over time. This is particularly common in Victorian and Edwardian properties in Caversham and Tilehurst where woodwork has been redecorated every few years since the 1920s. Stripping back to stable bare timber and starting fresh with a proper primer system is the correct approach when the build-up has become excessive.

We strip by hand or with heat where appropriate. We do not use aggressive chemical strippers on original timber that may damage the surface below.

Fitted carpentry, bespoke shelving, alcove cabinetry, and built-in furniture in period properties need the same care as original joinery. We paint fitted joinery in the correct sequence, starting with internal faces and back panels before fitting and finishing with the external surfaces after fitting.