Paintworks and Plastering (Edinburgh)

Paintworks and Plastering (Edinburgh) was established in 1992 by owner Derek Gavine with the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust. The firm employs a small team of fully qualified and insured City and Guilds tradesmen and offers a 365-day guarantee. It serves domestic and commercial customers in Edinburgh, and specialises in period property restoration in the city. Services include traditional lime plastering, plastering and all aspects of interior decorating.

The company has also worked in Dundee and London, with interior designers, property agents, housing associations, shopfitters, estate managers, and private individuals. Derek Gavine began his career in 1984 at Kingsway Technical College, gaining an apprenticeship through the Scottish Painting Council, and obtained his City and Guilds Certificate in Painting and Decorating in 1987.

Fireplace removal and the plastering that follows it are the work most often described in feedback for this Mayfield Road business, with Derek, frequently assisted by Sam, named in almost every account. Reviewers often mention a smooth, clean finish left ready for painting, achieved even where old chimney breasts or cracked ceilings presented awkward, dirty conditions requiring careful partial removal rather than a full strip-out.

Several clients describe punctuality and a tidy approach to the job, with dust and debris kept under control throughout, and more than one mention sockets being rewired or skirting boards sourced and matched to the original to complete a room after a fireplace has gone. Clear communication and reasonable pricing come up often, alongside confidence that quotes and advice given before work started were practical and well judged. One client noted that decorators brought in afterwards commented favourably on the standard of the plastering underneath.

Difficult jobs, including one described as unexpectedly tough and messy, were apparently handled without fuss and to a good standard. The business operates from Mayfield Road in Edinburgh with long weekday hours from 8am to 7pm, and is also available on Sunday afternoons between midday and 4pm, giving some flexibility for households arranging fireplace removal or plastering repairs around other commitments.