Everyone knows the story about painting the Forth Road Bridge (by the time the painters reach one end they have to start again at the beginning). Here’s something I didn’t know: the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is painted in ‘International Orange’, but the US Navy originally wanted it in yellow and black stripes,…
Did you know that Picasso used regular house paint for many of his most famous paintings?Apparently this has been a source of argument between art historians for years, but it was recently settled by scientists in the US. They used a high-energy X-ray instrument called an x-ray nanoprobe to examine tiny pieces of paint –…
Welcome to G D Parvin Painters & Decorators Residential and Commercial decorators in London since 1997 Experienced tradesmen with high standards of workmanship Minor plastering, plumbing, carpentry and electrical work included Competitive prices Our feedback on the ratings websites is as good as you will find – see our recent testimonials on our full website….
It’s summer, so I thought I’d write about wet rot. Poor preparation and painting (and neglect) of timber door and window frames is bad news for your property, but it’s good news for fungi. Poor painting means your wood gets wet, and wet wood gives fungus both a hearty meal and a cosy home. In…
It was a new word for me as well! It means “The condition which leaves millions of people in fear of dealing with cowboy tradesmen. Six in 10 people claim to suffer from the condition when forced to negotiate with plumbers, builders and roofers for a job on their property —Fear of rogue tradesmen” according to…
What is a good painter? Having worked in the industry for more years than I care to think about, and having nothing better to do, I recently ended up studying a bit about marine painting. It is probably the most critical type of painting because if done badly the hull can rust and the ship…
I sat down to write a calm informed article about BluTak, and why it is the Devil’s work when it comes near nicely painted interior walls. And what did I find, dear reader, in a quick Google search: a Council Health & Safety order banning use of BluTak on windows in a Scottish school on…
I’m often asked how to look after indoor paintwork and keep it free of grubby finger-marks and general minor scuffs. My first response (“ask your wife to do it”) used to be appreciated by married men but all it gets me now is an elbow in the ribs from Mrs. Parvin. So here is a…
Here in the South we seem to be moving towards Spring, despite the pictures I saw of cars in Yorkshire stranded in the snow. It’s a good time of year to take stock of a home and look at what jobs will need to be done, including decorating jobs of course. External paintwork What should you look for…
This kind of weather makes people worry about everything from burst pipes to collapsing roofs. It also makes my workmen fight over who gets to work in the warmest houses. But there are points to watch out for in a cold snap that could save nasty bills later, so I thought I’d pass on what…
After surviving Christmas a lot of people seem to celebrate with a home makeover, or at least a fresh coat of paint. And we’re happy to oblige. Remember, we’ve got through midwinter and it’s all downhill from here to Spring and Summer. Sunrise is one whole minute a day earlier at the moment! And since…
I love Christmas. My wife’s name is Holly, after all. But I lose sleep at the thought of all the lovely paintwork my men have done being wrecked by sellotape and blu-tack. So, if you’ll allow me, I have some suggestions on how to hang things without wrecking the lovely job my men did. They…
I’m sure when I was a lad I was told that things are supposed to wind down for the Christmas holidays. Just one of those things, like it always rains for Wimbledon. Not any more though. I came up with all sorts of explanations but none of them really make much sense. The fact is,…
What’s your least favourite cleaning task? The toilet has to be up there, but top of the list on a recent survey was cleaning the oven: 40% of people named it as their worst household chore. Cleaning the toilet, if you’re interested, came in second with 18%. With that in mind, here are a few…
Hello again. So it seems that Twilight isn’t only taking over the silver screens… it is also taking over our homes. No, Robert the vampire wolf guy – or whatever he is, isn’t going to be showing up, so keep your knickers on. The Autumn trends are here, and twilight colours are the new thing….
Around this time of year people start looking at how to make the most of their home for the winter. The prospect of relatives coming for the Christmas break and more time indoors, perhaps. It’s a busy time for us decorators, though. I thought you might appreciate some unusual cleaning tips, while you’re thinking about…
One of the biggest problems that people have when deciding to get their home re-decorated is picking a colour scheme for the rooms in question. They go and get all the different colour charts from Dulux, or Crown, or Farrow and Ball, but can’t always decide what to do, and often seek my advice, as…
The summer holidays have ended, the children are back at school, the dad’s are back at work, as are the mum’s, and everyone can take a deep breath… including me. Now, my kids are back at school, which is part of the reason that I take a deep breath, but the other reason is that…
We’ve been decorating houses and offices in London and the South-East for more than 16 years. We’re happy to have built up many clients who ask us to come back when it’s time for redecoration. Our team have been with us for years – over 150 years between them – and they are trusted competent…
Ok, So the most up and coming thing nowadays seems to be Shabby Chic… Most of you may be wondering what this is, to men it means ‘everything is painted white’ and to woman there is a whole other world to the white, there is Vanilla White, Cotton White, Violet White, Ivory Lace, Chalky White,…
If you have seen my last blog, you will notice that I have started to give my advice regarding colours and interior decor. Now, wallpapering. It seems to have taken off again, after dying a death in the 90’s. But now it is back, and being done very tastefully throughout London. This ties in slightly…
Well, I think that the title here pretty much exlains what this blog is going to be about. Decorating in London. Well, when you think about it, all my blogs are about this subject, not that you would ever expect to see anything else, as this is a painting and decorating website. Anyway, I’ve noticed…
Well, it seems that the holidays are definately over, and people are back into the normality of life. The children are back at school, the in laws have gone home, and we are all back at work, trying to burn off the turkey!!! Well, as I said in my earlier blogs, this year I will…
Happy New year! I have decided to get the new year off to a blast, and to share with you what some of my recent customers say about my company, and our service. I recently did a decorating job in Wimbledon. And this is what they had to say, “We invited GD Parvin to quote…
It is that time of year, thankfully without the snow this time. Christmas will be coming soon. The Children are off school. The family is coming in to town. The shopping is being done. The tree is up. I think that after Christmas, we all need a holiday!!! No but on a more serious note,…
Well, it seems that even with the run up to Christmas people are still busy trying to get their homes in order for the family arriving. I have had quite a few phone calls in the past week for people who need ’emergency decorating’. This is basically, people needing the house painted before christmas, which…
I have been painting and decorating in London for over 15 years. That is a long time. And I have been driving around London for all of that time. If this painting and decorating thing doesn’t work out, I can always become a taxi driver! I have been doing it so long, there isn’t much…
I can’t believe how quickly the year has gone. And I really can’t believe that my son gave me his Christmas list yesterday! Christmas already??? It is all over the shops, the lights are up on Oxford Street, and it is only 8 weeks away. I can’t believe it. Which leads me to my next…
Last week I finished a nice little decorating job in South Kensington. A lovely woman wanted a new kitchen put in to her town house just off of Cromwell Road. When I arrived to go over what she wanted and give her a quotation, the kitchen looked pretty good to me! Lovely marble work tops…
No I haven’t had a facelift, or botox… I am naturally beautiful and ageing gracefully… at least that is what my wife says… and they are laughter lines, not wrinkles! But, that isn’t to say that I wouldn’t consider it. This week I went to do an estimate for interior and exterior work at a…
