DH Painter & Decorator paints the outside of homes in Spencer, the NN5 7 estate about a mile north-west of Northampton town centre between Harlestone Road and Spencer Bridge Road. Dean covers masonry, fascias, doors, gates and outbuildings on the estate's 1930s-50s houses, its 1970s bungalows and maisonettes, and the newer homes on Lyttleton Road and Countess Road.
What is left to paint on a Spencer semi
Most of Spencer was built between the late 1930s and the 1950s, according to the EPC age bands for Pembroke Road, Tenby Road, Swansea Road, Monmouth Road, Streatfeild Road and Warren Road. These are semi-detached houses and short terraces, and most have had their original windows replaced. That changes what an outside repaint here actually involves. There are rarely rows of timber sashes to strip and reglaze. The work tends to centre on four things:
- Walls where a house has render or pebbledash on all or part of the front, which needs breathable masonry paint.
- The roofline, meaning fascias, soffits, bargeboards, gutters and downpipes.
- Doors and porches, including back doors and any timber porch that survived the window replacement.
- Outbuildings, such as sheds, garages and the side gates between pairs of semis.
The 1970s bungalows and maisonettes on Cardigan Close, Spencer Haven and Newport Road have a lower, simpler outline, and the 1986-2009 homes on Lyttleton Road are mostly social housing, where outside work is normally arranged by the landlord. Our main exterior painting service sets out the full preparation sequence, so this page sticks to what is particular to Spencer.
Sixteen metres of climb and what it does to paint
Spencer is not flat. Street elevation data puts Lyttleton Road at about 64 metres and the top of Gladstone Road at over 80 metres. That rise is enough to matter. Houses on the upper part of Gladstone Road catch more wind and more driven rain than those down on Lyttleton Road, and paint on their weather-facing elevations breaks down sooner. On those houses Dean pays closer attention to the bottom edges of doors, sills and the end grain of bargeboards, where water gets in first, and he waits for a longer dry spell before starting rather than squeezing a coat in between showers.
Lower down, the concern is different. Shaded rear elevations and north-facing walls stay damp for longer and pick up green growth, which has to be killed and washed off before any coating goes on. Our guide to when to paint outside in the UK covers the temperature and humidity limits we work to.
Fronting the A4500 and A428
Homes and buildings that face Spencer Bridge Road or Harlestone Road sit beside two busy main roads. Their walls and woodwork collect a film of traffic grime that paint will not bond to, so on those frontages a thorough wash down is part of the job rather than an optional extra. Parking is the other issue. Getting a van and equipment close to a house on a main road takes planning, and access is agreed with you before the start date. On the quieter estate streets, the side access that most semis have makes it far easier to get to the back of the house.
Colour, consent and who owns the outside
No conservation area covers the Spencer estate, so on an ordinary house you can choose a new front door or wall colour without conservation rules getting in the way. That is a real difference from Dallington village next door, where the old core has been a conservation area since 1970. The one heritage exception within Spencer ward is the Grade II Spencer Club on Tennyson Close, which is a separate case.
Ownership needs checking more often than colour. Several Spencer streets are mainly social housing, and the outside of those homes is the landlord’s responsibility, so tenants should ask their housing provider before arranging any work. The recent flats on Countess Road are managed blocks, which means exterior work goes through the managing agent. Owner-occupiers can book directly, and Dean will come out, look at each surface and give you a free written quote. For an idea of what affects the price, see the painter and decorator cost guide, or go back to the Spencer area page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
