Woodwork and trim painting

Recognise the detail at the entrance

The Harley Street conservation audit draws attention to panelled timber doors and varied classical doorcases. A repaint should keep that modelling legible: paint accumulated in a fine bead or around a panel needs a considered treatment. Before working, identify any loose mouldings, earlier finishes or repairs requiring a joiner. The age of the street is not a substitute for examining the particular door.

Sources: Westminster: Harley Street conservation area audit

Give shutters space to fold

Where shutters survive, open every leaf during the assessment. Inspect the hinges, folded stack, meeting edges and recess, and photograph places that already bind. Paint thickness and the order of work need to respect that movement. Record fixed linings separately from opening leaves; a shutter assembly should not disappear into an allowance labelled window woodwork.

Distinguish internal trim from the building entrance

In a mansion flat, a skirting board inside the sitting room and the outer face of the entrance door can fall under different instructions. Confirm the building’s requirements before including either common-part finishes or shared joinery. For your rooms, count door faces, frames and fitted panels, then mark which handles come off and which fittings need protection in place.

• Door faces, shutter leaves and fixed linings counted
• Fine mouldings and existing binding points recorded
• Hardware removal agreed item by item
• Shared entrance work confirmed with the responsible party

Review the sheen on the moulding itself

A broad colour card cannot show the highlights on an architrave or the shadow around a raised panel. Use an agreed test piece or suitable sample area to judge those effects beside the wall finish. Discuss how long painted contact surfaces need before normal use, following the selected system’s instructions. Keep the product record with the joinery schedule for later maintenance.