Painter Grou: major maintenance on your home

We know Grou from more than the map. Here we carried out the maintenance of a detached house with white frames and parapet panels, together with BW Coatings. The work covered the frames and doors, treating the Trespa and the finish in Herfst & Helder.

You can see the photos and the approach in the major maintenance project in Grou. A job like that shows well how we work: first masking and preparation, only then the top coat.

Many houses from recent decades have parapets and panels made of Trespa. When they have gone dull or aged, they don't necessarily have to be replaced. Trespa can be painted, provided the pre-treatment is right. The material is smooth and hard, so without proper preparation the paint won't bond.

In Grou we did that, together with BW Coatings. On painting Trespa we explain the steps. You can also ask whether it is feasible for your panels, and we will look at that during the site visit.

Grou lies on the Pikmeer, on the route of the Prinses Margrietkanaal, and since 2014 has been part of the municipality of Leeuwarden. It is one of the best-known watersports villages in Friesland, and every February it has its own festival, Sint Piter. In and around the village many houses stand close to the water.

You notice that on the facades. Damp and wind do their work, especially on the south and west sides and on the waterside. How we deal with that you can read under painting by the water.

If you have your own mooring, you would rather not have scaffolding at your door in the boating season. So it is wise to call in good time, so we can choose a period together that fits how you use the house.

With major maintenance we assess the whole house. Where is the paint coming off, where are the joints open, and where is the wood soft? Rotten parts come out back to sound wood. Then the fixed steps follow: degreasing, sanding, priming, filling, sealing and two top coats.

If you want to keep it in good order afterwards, you can do that with a long-term maintenance plan for 5 or 10 years. With it, a 10-year guarantee applies. A plan is not an obligation, but it prevents you from having to take such a big step again in a few years.

Send photos of all the facades, of the frames that worry you and of any panels or Trespa. Add when the home was built and when it was last painted. If your house is on the water, show the water side too.

During the site visit we look at the surface, discuss the colours and agree the work. After that you receive a quote that states exactly what will happen.

If you want Trespa or panels treated, also take a photo of the edges and the fixings. That often tells us more than a photo of the whole surface.

Major maintenance is tailor-made. The surface area, the condition of the wood, Trespa and the scaffolding make the difference. A national market indication is exterior painting from €35 per m2, an exterior frame from €50 each and wood rot from €50 per spot. These are not MJA prices.

With us you get a fixed price after the site visit, and our own scaffolding has a fixed price for putting it up and taking it down. Painting work on a home that is two years old or older carries 9 percent Dutch VAT.

With a large home, the split matters too. You can have everything done at once, or divide it into stages. Then you see in the quote what happens now and what later. We discuss the order at the site visit.

MJA Allround Bouw is based in Mirns and works throughout Friesland, in and around Leeuwarden too. We are a member of OnderhoudNL, a recognised training company, and we hold a 4.8 on Google from 25 reviews. Customers mention the honest advice and the clear communication.

Want to know what your house in Grou needs? Send your photos via the quote request or call Mohamed on 06 3006 0558.