DH Painter & Decorator takes on commercial painting in Spencer, NN5 7, a mile out from the town centre on the north-west side, just across Spencer Bridge Road. Most premises here are small: convenience parades on Gladstone Road and Warren Road, plus community buildings such as centres, churches, an early years centre and a working men's club.
What counts as commercial work in Spencer
Spencer is mostly housing, and its larger shopping strips (Weedon Road, St James’ Road and the Harlestone Road shops) are just over the boundary in St James. Commercial painting inside Spencer therefore means smaller premises, with community buildings making up much of the non-domestic stock:
- small shops on Gladstone Road, including a One Stop convenience store and Spencer’s Takeaway
- newsagents and mini markets on Warren Road, shops on Dallington Road near the Warren Road junction, and a mini market on Spencer Bridge Road
- community premises: the Gladstone Centre and Elim Christian Centre on Gladstone Road, Spencer Dallington Community Centre on Tintern Avenue, Cardigan Close Community Centre and Spencer Working Men’s Club on Tennyson Close
- education buildings, including Earl Spencer Primary School, St James CE Primary School and Camrose Early Years Centre
- industrial units along Spencer Bridge Road and Countess Road
Our general approach to working around a business is described on the main commercial painting page. Below is what changes for premises in Spencer.
Small shops that cannot close
A convenience store or takeaway on a local parade often trades long hours every day, so closing for a day is rarely an option. For a Spencer shop interior, we work in zones, moving shelving and screening off one bay at a time, and use low-odour water-based paints so the shop can stay open. Takeaway kitchens and serving areas need washable, grease-resistant finishes and a thorough degrease first, otherwise the new paint will not bond. Where the job includes the front, signage board or shutters, our shopfront painting page covers that work in more detail.
Halls, centres and church buildings
Community centres, church halls and the working men’s club are used at different times by different groups, so the decorating has to fit their booking calendars. Halls take heavy wear from stacked chairs, tables and sports use, so lower walls usually get a scrubbable or eggshell finish and doors and frames a tough satin. Schools and the early years centre are normally decorated during holidays, with low-odour materials and the work area handed back clean.
Two buildings in the area need extra care. The Spencer Club, Grade II listed, is 17th-century ashlar that has since been cement rendered. Any change to its external finish could need listed building consent, and older fabric of that kind generally calls for a breathable coating. The Gospel Hall on Spencer Bridge Road, built in 1904-7 as St James’ Church institute, is locally listed. In both cases we would talk to the building’s owners about the heritage position before quoting a finish.
Frontages on busy roads
Premises facing Spencer Bridge Road (the A4500) or Harlestone Road (the A428) pick up exhaust soot on masonry, timber and metalwork, so outside work starts with a full wash down. Parking and loading on those frontages also have to be planned before the work starts, especially where a tower or ladders would sit on the pavement. Spencer has no conservation area, so outside the two heritage buildings, owners can choose their colours freely.
We cover Spencer from our Northampton base, about a mile away. See the Spencer area page for the rest of our work in NN5 7, or call Dean on 07539 779 036 to arrange a site visit and free quote.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
