The first time someone has tradesmen in their home for a job like panelling, there is always a bit of nervousness about how the day will actually run. Who turns up, when, how much mess there will be, whether you need to be there the whole time. We get asked all of this fairly often, so here is what a normal fitting day with us looks like from start to finish.
Every job is a bit different depending on the size of the room and the style of panelling, but the shape of the day tends to be similar whether it is a single feature wall or a whole hallway.
Arrival times and what to expect first thing
We agree a start time with you in advance, usually somewhere between eight and half past eight in the morning, and our fitters will let you know if anything changes, for instance if traffic on the way over from our Hampshire base is bad. On arrival, the fitter will normally have a quick look at the room again, check nothing has changed since the survey, and confirm the plan for the day with you before any tools come out.
If it is a bigger job running over more than one day, the first morning usually takes a little longer because there is more setting up to do. Sheet materials need to be brought in and checked, dust sheets go down, and any furniture still in the room gets moved or covered.
You do not need to be standing over the job all day, but it does help if someone is around at the start so any last questions about layout, socket positions or skirting details can be settled before cutting begins.
Dust control and keeping the mess down
Panelling work does create dust, mostly from cutting boards and sanding joints, so we take reasonable steps to keep it contained. Dust sheets go over floors and any furniture that cannot be removed from the room, and where possible we cut boards to size outside or in a hallway rather than in the main room itself.
We cannot promise a completely dust free house, that would not be honest, but a tidy fitter will keep it to a manageable level and will not leave sawdust trodden through the rest of the property. If you have particular concerns, for example a member of the household with respiratory issues, it is worth mentioning this when the job is booked so we can plan around it.
Noise and working around your household
There will be noise from cutting, sanding and the occasional nail gun or drill, particularly in the earlier stages when boards are being fixed to the wall. We try to keep the noisier jobs to normal working hours and avoid very early starts or late finishes out of consideration for neighbours, especially in terraced or semi detached properties.
If you work from home or have young children napping, let us know and we will do what we can to plan the noisier parts of the day around that, though some flexibility is needed as certain steps have to happen in sequence.
What we need from you on the day
The main thing we ask is access. Someone needs to be able to let the fitter in at the start of the day and lock up if you are going out, unless other arrangements have been made. It also helps enormously if the room has already been cleared of anything fragile, wall hangings and small furniture, as agreed at the quote stage.
Beyond that, we just need a decision maker reachable by phone in case anything comes up that needs a quick answer, such as an unexpected pipe behind the wall or a preference on how a corner is finished. We would rather ask than guess.
- Clear access to the room and a way in for the team
- Furniture and wall decorations removed or moved to one side
- A power supply nearby for tools
- Someone contactable during the day for quick decisions
- Pets kept away from the work area for their own safety
Where we work and how we protect the rest of the house
We try to keep our footprint to the room being panelled and the most direct route to it. Dust sheets are laid along hallways and stairs if boards need carrying through, and doors to other rooms are kept closed where practical to stop dust drifting through the house.
Cutting is usually done just outside the room or in a garage or driveway if one is available, which cuts down considerably on mess inside. If there is no suitable outside space, we set up a cutting area within the room itself using a dust sheet and, where sensible, a small extraction unit on the saw.
Breaks in the work and multi day jobs
Larger panelling projects, a full hallway with a staircase run for example, rarely finish in a single day. It is normal for a job to be split over two or three visits to allow paint or filler to dry properly between stages, rather than rushing everything through in one sitting.
Between visits the room is left tidy and safe, with tools packed away and any half finished sections protected. We will always tell you at the start roughly how many days to expect, and update you if anything changes that timeline.
End of day tidy up
At the end of each working day, the fitter will sweep up, bag any offcuts and rubbish, and fold away dust sheets neatly rather than leaving debris lying around overnight. Tools are packed into cases or the van rather than left scattered across the floor.
On the final day of the job, once the last piece is fixed and any touch up filling or sanding is done, we will do a final clean of the room, walk you through the finished panelling, and answer any questions about care or painting before we head off.
Common questions
- Do I need to take the day off work when you fit panelling?
- Not necessarily. Many customers give us a key or arrange access another way and check the progress in the evening. It is only really useful to be present at the very start to confirm layout details, and at the end to have a look through the finished work.
- How much mess should I expect afterwards?
- We keep dust and mess to a sensible minimum with sheeting and outdoor cutting where possible, and we tidy properly at the end of each day. Some fine dust is unavoidable with any cutting work, but the room will not be left in a state.
- Can you work around my pets or young children?
- Yes, though we do ask that pets and small children are kept out of the immediate work area for their own safety, particularly when saws or nail guns are in use. Beyond that we are happy to work around normal family life.
- What if something needs a decision partway through the day?
- We would rather stop and ask than assume, so it helps if someone is reachable by phone even if they are not in the house all day. It is usually quick things like a socket position or a corner detail.
- Will the panelling be paintable the same day it is fitted?
- Filling and sanding of joints usually needs to happen before painting, and this sometimes needs a day to settle properly, so painting often happens the following day or is left to you or your decorator afterwards.
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