Aethos Studio · Painter and Decorator · St Andrews

Workmanship guarantee

12Months, in writing, on every job

If our work lets you down, we come back and put it right.

Every job we finish carries a written guarantee on the workmanship for 12 months from the day it is completed. If something we painted fails because of the way we prepared it or applied it, we return and repair it properly at no cost to you. That means our labour, our materials, our dust sheets and however long it takes.

Most of what makes a paint job last happens before the first coat goes on, in the washing, the filling, the sanding and the priming. That is the work you cannot see on the day we leave, so this guarantee is how we stand behind it.

When cover starts and how long it lasts

Cover runs for 12 months from the completion date written on your final invoice and on the front of this guarantee.

Where a job is finished in stages, each stage is covered from its own completion date, so the last room finished gets the full 12 months the same as the first.

Exterior work carries the same 12 months. That takes it through a full Scottish winter and back into summer, which is the stretch of weather where poor preparation outside usually shows itself.

What is covered

Any of the following, where the cause is our preparation or our application.

Peeling, flaking or lifting paint: Where a coat lets go of the surface underneath because it was not cleaned, keyed or primed properly. This is the clearest sign of rushed preparation, and the one we take most seriously.
Filling that sinks or cracks: Filler we applied that shrinks back, cracks out or shows through the finish. We rake it out, refill, sand it flat and repaint, rather than dabbing over the top.
Caulked joints: Caulk at skirtings, architraves, door linings and window boards that splits or pulls away beyond normal hairline movement.
Application faults: Runs, sags, missed areas, heavy roller texture, brush marks in an eggshell or gloss where a smooth finish was agreed, and patchy sheen caused by how the paint was laid off.
Stains and knots bleeding through: Knots, resin, rust, water marks or smoke staining coming through a finish where sealing or priming them was part of our work.
Cutting in and stray paint: Wavering lines where walls meet ceilings or woodwork, and paint left on glass, ironmongery, sockets, switches or flooring that was missed at handover.
Exterior coatings breaking down early: Blistering, flaking or early failure of coatings on masonry, render, timber or metal, where the cause is our preparation or application and not the building itself.
Damage we cause: Marks, scuffs or spills on floors, furniture or fittings caused by us during the job and found after we left. We put these right too, and our £5 million public liability insurance stands behind anything larger.

What is not covered, and why

We would rather tell you now than argue about it later. Each of these has a cause that a paint finish cannot fix. Where we can see a risk at the survey, we will tell you in writing before you agree the price.

Building movement: Cracks that open because the structure has moved, settled or is reacting to heating and the seasons. Paint can hide a crack for a while. It cannot hold a wall together.
Damp, leaks and condensation: Paint pushed off by water from a leak, rising or penetrating damp, failed gutters or downpipes, or condensation in rooms without enough ventilation. The water has to be dealt with first, then the paint.
The surface underneath failing: Blown plaster, rotten timber, failing render or old coatings letting go deeper down, unless repairing that surface was part of the agreed work.
Work you chose to leave out: Preparation or repairs we recommended in writing that were left out of the scope, such as a full strip of failing old gloss or replacing a soft sill.
New plaster and new timber settling: Hairline cracks as new plaster finishes drying out, and small gaps opening at timber joints in the first heating season. We come back for these anyway, see the first winter visit below.
Wear, knocks and cleaning: Everyday wear, impact damage, pets, scrubbing with abrasive cleaners, or washing the paint before it has had time to cure.
Natural weathering: Gradual fading and chalking of exterior colours in sunlight, and dirt, algae or lichen on masonry. These are maintenance, not failure.
Materials or work by others: Defects caused by a paint or product you supplied that we advised against in writing, or by anyone else working on the same surface after we left, including touch ups.

Beyond the guarantee: the first winter visit

Old houses move, and they move most during the first proper heating season after decorating. Timber dries and shrinks a little, and fine lines can appear along caulked joints and filled cracks.

At any point within the 12 months, ask and we will come back once to run fresh caulk along any joints that have opened and fill and touch in any fine cracks that have appeared as the house dried out. This is not a claim and there is no charge. It is simply how we would want our own house looked after.

Before we leave the job

The guarantee starts at handover, so handover is done properly.

A walk round together: We go through every room or elevation with you in daylight, and with a torch held flat against the wall, which shows up anything a ceiling light hides.
A written snag list: Anything either of us spots goes on a written list and is put right before the final invoice is raised.
A paint record: You get a record of every product, colour and sheen used, room by room and surface by surface, so any future touch up or repaint matches.
Labelled touch up tins: Where there is paint left, we leave it behind with the room and the surface written on the lid.
Care notes: The care guide in this document, so you know how long the paint needs before it can be cleaned and how to look after it.

How to raise a claim

1
Tell us
Email hello@aethos.space or ring 07351 255057 with your guarantee number, what you have noticed and where. A photograph helps if you can take one.
2
We reply and visit
We reply within two working days and arrange to look at it in person, usually within ten working days.
3
We tell you what caused it
If it is down to our work, we book the repair at no cost. If we believe the cause is outside this guarantee, we explain why in writing, show you what we found, and tell you what would fix it, even if the fix is not ours to do.
4
We put it right properly
We prepare, prime and repaint to the nearest natural break, such as a full wall or the whole length of a skirting, so the repair does not show as a patch. Floors and furniture are protected exactly as they were on the original job.
5
The repair is covered too
Repaired work is guaranteed for the rest of the original 12 months, or for three months from the date of the repair, whichever is longer.

What we ask of you

Give the paint time to cure: Paint is dry to the touch in hours but takes two to four weeks to harden fully. In that time, avoid washing it, sticking anything to it, or pushing furniture tight against it.
Tell us early: Let us know about anything you notice as soon as is reasonable. A small problem caught early is a small repair.
Let us look first: Please let us inspect before anyone repairs, paints over or alters the area. We cannot assess work that has been changed.
Keep rooms ventilated: Use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and open a window when drying washing indoors. Condensation is the most common cause of paint trouble in Scottish homes.
Keep this document: This guarantee and your final invoice are your proof of cover.

Looking after the finish

Matt and flat emulsion: After four weeks, wipe marks gently with a soft damp cloth and a drop of washing up liquid. Do not scrub, because matt finishes polish up to a shine where they are rubbed.
Durable matt and soft sheen: After four weeks these can be wiped more firmly. Test any cleaner on a hidden patch first.
Eggshell and satin on woodwork: Fine for light use within days, fully hard in around three weeks. Water based finishes stay slightly soft until then, so lift things rather than drag them across sills and skirtings.
Oil based gloss: Wipe with a damp cloth. Oil based finishes slowly yellow in rooms with little daylight. That is a property of the paint, not a defect.
Exterior masonry and timber: Rinse off dirt and green growth with clean water once a year. Check window sills and the bottom rails of doors each spring, because that is where water sits longest.
Touching up: Stir the tin well, use a small brush and feather the edges out. On matt walls it is often better to repaint the whole wall corner to corner than to spot in a mark.

If you sell your home

The guarantee belongs to the house, not just to you. If you sell within the 12 months, the new owners keep the remaining cover at no charge. Email us with their name and the date they moved in, and we will reissue this document in their name.

Your legal rights

This guarantee is given in addition to your legal rights, not instead of them. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and nothing in this document reduces that.

If we ever disagree about a claim, you are free to seek independent advice, and we will share our photographs and notes with whoever you choose.

Who stands behind it

Aethos Painting & Decorating is a registered company based on Bruce Street, St Andrews, holding public liability insurance to £5 million. A copy of our insurance certificate is available on request.