Why Winter Is a Good Time to Paint Your Tenement Common Stair
When the clocks go back, most people stop thinking about painting, and outside work slows right down. But one job in an Edinburgh tenement doesn't need to wait for spring at all: the common stair. If the close in your building is looking scuffed, stained or just tired, the winter months are a very good time to get it sorted.
Why winter suits a common stair repaint
A common stair is indoor work. Rain, wind and short days stop exterior painting, but they don't stop us painting the walls, ceilings, handrails and landings inside your stair. That makes winter one of the most practical times of year to book it in, and it means the stair can be finished before spring, when many owners turn their attention to the outside of the building.
The stair is also seen most in the dark months, by residents coming home, deliveries and visitors. A clean, bright stairwell makes the whole building feel better cared for, and it's often the first thing a buyer or tenant sees. (For the outside of the building, see our guide to how Edinburgh's weather affects your paint.)
Start the conversation with your neighbours now
In most tenements, the common stair belongs to all the flat owners together, so a repaint is normally agreed jointly, much like any other shared repair. Your title deeds usually set out how decisions are made, and the Tenement Management Scheme fills the gaps where they don't. We can't give legal advice, but we can make the practical side easier. Winter is a good time to get everyone talking, because there's no rush to catch a dry spell. A few things help:
Get a written quote you can share. We'll look at the stair with one owner or a few, and give a clear written quote that every owner can read.
See the colours on the wall. We can leave sample patches on a landing so neighbours can see them in the stair's own light, not just on a chart.
Pick one point of contact. If there's no factor, it helps if one owner keeps in touch with us on behalf of the stair.
Agree dates early. Once owners have agreed, booking dates in good time means everyone knows when the work is happening.
If your building has a factor
Plenty of stairs in Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Leith, Gorgie and Stockbridge are looked after by a factor or property manager. If yours is, let us know when you get in touch, and we'll talk through how the quote, timing and access should be arranged. A factor can often collect owners' agreement over the winter months, so the work can go ahead without delay.
Cold, damp and drying: what's different in winter
Painting a stair in winter is perfectly possible, but a cold, unheated stairwell needs a bit more thought than a warm living room. These are the things we plan for:
Temperature. Paints and fillers have minimum application temperatures, and drying slows down in the cold. We check conditions in the stair and allow proper drying time between coats rather than rushing.
Damp and condensation. Ground-floor walls near the main door, back-green doors and stone walls that stay cold can hold moisture. Surfaces need to be dry before they're painted, and any damp patches are checked first rather than simply covered up.
Wet feet and grit. Rain and grit get walked in all winter, so we keep floors and steps protected and make sure the route through the stair stays clean and safe.
Preparation makes the finish last
A common stair takes a lot of wear from prams, bikes, shopping and flitting, so preparation is what makes new paintwork last. Before any paint goes on, we:
wash down walls and woodwork to remove dirt and grease, especially around the handrail and the main door
fill cracks, chips and dents with Toupret fillers and sand them smooth
seal old water marks and stains, often left by past leaks from a flat above, with Zinsser primers so they don't bleed through
prime bare or repaired timber on handrails, banisters, skirtings and door frames
protect original features such as tiled dados, cornicing and cupolas, and agree in advance whether they're painted or left as they are.
If there's cracked or damaged plaster to deal with first, our plaster repairs and surface preparation service covers that as part of the job.
Choosing colours for a common stair
Stair colours have to please several owners at once and stand up to daily wear, so they're usually chosen with practicality in mind. A common approach is a harder-wearing, slightly darker colour below the dado rail, where bags and bikes scuff the walls, with a lighter colour above to bounce light around the stairwell. Lighter upper walls make a real difference in a dark close in winter.
We use Johnstone's Trade paints, chosen for each surface, with tougher, wipeable finishes on the lower walls, handrails and woodwork. Our guide to paint finishes explains why different sheen levels suit different areas.
While the work is going on, we paint flight by flight so there's always a clear route in and out, and give residents a timetable in advance. There's more on how we work on our tenement and common stair painting page.
Plan the rest of the building for spring
While owners are talking about the stair, it's worth thinking about the rest of the building too. The main door, the outside walls and the windows are usually shared or need doing at the same time, and they're best tackled once the weather improves. Booking the stair for winter and the outside for spring spreads the work sensibly. If your building's windows need attention, see our sash and case window painting service, and for walls, render and harling, our exterior painting service.
Get a free quote for your stair
We paint common stairs, closes and entrance halls across Edinburgh and the Lothians, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:30. We're a family-run business with public liability insurance up to £5 million. Call or text 07514 665726, or request a free quote online. We'll come and look at the stair, answer neighbours' questions and give you a clear written quote you can share with every owner.
Common stair FAQs
Can a common stair be painted in winter?
Yes. It's indoor work, so it isn't held up by rain or short days the way exterior painting is. We check the temperature and dryness of the stair and allow proper drying time between coats.
Do all the owners need to agree first?
Usually most of them do. Your title deeds normally set out how decisions on common repairs are made, and the Tenement Management Scheme applies where they're silent. We can provide a written quote and answer neighbours' questions to help you reach agreement.
How do I get a quote?
Call or text 07514 665726, or use our contact page. Quotes are free. You'll find more answers on our FAQ page.
Need a hand? Edinburgh Painting Specialists is a family-run painting and decorating business. Call or text us on 07514 665726 or get a free quote.
Cover photo: Pretzelles via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comments