DH Painter & Decorator repaints shopfronts in Kingsthorpe (NN2), along the A508 about 1.8 miles north of the town centre. That covers units along Harborough Road, the historic High Street and pub frontages inside the conservation areas, with the work planned around opening times and traffic on the A508.
Harborough Road, the commercial spine
Kingsthorpe’s shops line up along the A508 Harborough Road. The shopping centre opened in 1974 and holds a Waitrose, a post office, a pharmacy, a coffee shop, a bank and a pet store, with Asda and Aldi nearby and a run of takeaways and restaurants along the road. Trading on this road goes back at least to the 1930s, when Alexandra Terrace was a shop parade opposite the Bective shoe and boot factory.
For a repaint, the main issue is the road itself. Harborough Road is busy, the appraisal notes more yellow lines and signs in the village, and unloading a van right outside the shop is not always possible. We agree with you beforehand where materials will be dropped and where the ladders or tower go, keep the pavement passable, and fence off the work area with barriers so pedestrians and customers can get by.
A frontage on a busy A-road gets dirty fast
Paint at street level on Harborough Road picks up traffic film, which dulls colours and stops new paint bonding if it is not removed. Before painting we:
- wash down fascia boards, pilasters, stallrisers and frames with a degreasing cleaner;
- sand back to a sound edge any flaking areas, especially low down where kicks and bags scuff the stallriser;
- treat rust on metal shutter housings, grilles and door furniture before painting;
- finish the lower parts in a hard-wearing exterior paint that can be wiped clean.
We mask signage, lettering and glazing so nothing needs redoing afterwards.
Units inside a larger centre may also have a landlord or managing agent with rules on colours, working times and insurance paperwork. If that applies to your shop, let us know at the quote stage and we will work to their requirements. For a standalone takeaway or restaurant on the parade, the decision is usually yours, and it is worth thinking about how the frontage reads from a car passing on the A508 as well as from the pavement: strong contrast between the fascia and the lettering does more than a busy colour scheme.
High Street and the pubs in the conservation areas
The High Street is the historic village street, and the High Street and Manor Road area has its own conservation area, designated in 1987, with stone cottages, Victorian terraces and red brick. Two of Kingsthorpe’s pubs sit inside conservation areas: the Queen Adelaide on Manor Road, which has a white-painted sandstone facade, and the King William IV on Green End, in stone with brick corners. The Cock Hotel on Harborough Road dates from 1893.
On frontages like these, colour needs more thought than on a modern unit. Dark, traditional colours on joinery suit the stone and brick, and painted stone should be recoated with a breathable masonry system so the soft sandstone can dry. Bare stone or brick should be left alone, since the conservation appraisal sees painting it as eroding the area’s character. If a building is listed, a change of colour or finish needs consent before we start.
Keeping the doors open while we work
Most Kingsthorpe businesses cannot shut for a repaint. We agree working times with you, do the entrance in sections so customers can always get in, and put wet paint signs anywhere a hand could brush a fresh coat. Exterior paint still needs dry weather and reasonable temperatures, so we keep an eye on the forecast and tell you early if a day has to move.
Shopfronts are part of our shopfront painting service, and the Kingsthorpe area page lists everything else we cover in the village. For budgeting, see our painter and decorator cost guide.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
