Decorating & Finishes
46 sources in the library on decorating & finishes, 8 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 1 of 2.
- very strong RN-CDLNT7 cited
Health and Safety Executive
The specific HSE information sheet behind the dust advice, with the numbers a note can quote. Names three types of construction dust: silica dust, also called respirable crystalline silica, from concrete, mortar and sandstone; wood dust from softwood, hardwood and wood-based products including MDF and plywood; and other general dust from materials with little or no silica, most commonly gypsum as in plasterboard, limestone, marble and dolomite. States that over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year, and that the main dust-related diseases are lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, most developing slowly though advanced silicosis and asthma can come on quickly. The legal framework is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and the three required steps are Assess, Control and Review. On damping down it corrects a common site habit: water needs enough supply at the right levels for the whole time the work is being done, and just wetting the material beforehand does not work. High dust levels come from high-energy tools such as cut-off saws, grinders and grit blasters.
Cited in How to Insulate a Loft (DIY), How to Tile a Wall or Floor, Interior Finishes: The Complete UK Guide (2026), Kitchen Worktops Compared: Quartz, Granite, Laminate.
- very strong RN-XH6E39 cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The standard that decides whether a loft ladder is legal and when a raised deck needs a balustrade. Published 3 January 2013, it covers protection from falling, collision and impact including stairs, ladders, ramps, guarding and vehicle barriers. Paragraph 1.31 states that retractable ladders must not be used as a means of escape. Paragraph 1.32 permits a fixed ladder, with fixed handrails on both sides, only for access in a loft conversion containing one habitable room, and only where there is not enough space without altering the existing space for a compliant stair, which is the rule that catches most loft ladder installations. Paragraph 1.29 restricts alternating tread stairs to loft conversions. For a private stair the maximum pitch is 42 degrees (Table 1.1 note 1), the normal relationship between rise and going is twice the rise plus the going between 550mm and 700mm, and for dwellings external tapered steps forming part of the building need a going of at least 280mm. Paragraph 3.1 requires guarding wherever it is reasonably necessary for safety at the edge of a floor, gallery, balcony, roof, light well, basement or similar sunken area. Paragraph 3.2 requires guarding to be at least the height in Diagram 3.1, allows any wall, parapet or balustrade to serve as guarding, and requires it to resist the loads in BS EN 1991-1-1 with its UK National Annex and PD 6688-1-1, with BS 6180 for barrier and infill panel design. Handrails should be positioned 900mm to 1000mm from the pitch line or floor.
Cited in All You Need To Know About Double Glazing Repairs, Basement & Cellar Conversions: Cost, Bifold Doors: Cost, Sizes & Alternatives, Blown Window Repair Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide and 41 more.
- very strong RN-PICO98 cited
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
SI 2012/1715, Schedule 2, gives the maximum VOC content in grams per litre of ready to use product, by subcategory and by type, WB for waterborne and SB for solventborne. Interior matt walls and ceilings 30 g/l for both WB and SB; interior glossy walls and ceilings 100 g/l for both; exterior walls of mineral substrate 40 WB and 430 SB; interior and exterior trim and cladding paints for wood and metal 130 WB and 300 SB; interior and exterior trim varnishes and woodstains 130 WB and 400 SB; minimal build woodstains 130 WB and 700 SB; primers 30 WB and 350 SB; binding primers 30 WB and 750 SB; one-pack performance coatings 140 WB and 500 SB; two-pack reactive performance coatings 140 WB and 500 SB; multi-coloured coatings 100 for both; decorative effect coatings 200 for both. Regulation 5 covers labelling. These are the numbers behind any claim about low-VOC paint and the gap between water-based and solvent-based gloss.
- strong RN-G1OCFP cited
BSI
BS 6150:2019, published 31 March 2019, committee STI/28, current; it supersedes BS 6150:2006+A1:2014. Clause 1 gives recommendations for good practice in the preparation, initial painting and maintenance painting of buildings internally and externally, including dwellings, offices, schools, hospitals and hotels, where decoration is a significant or the major factor. It takes account of the need to protect building materials against weathering and other forms of attack, and gives detailed information on wood, metal, masonry and other typical building substrates. It covers the paints and coating materials in common use, with limited reference to specialist and factory-applied coatings, and excludes the protection of structural steel elements, which falls under BS EN ISO 12944. This is the citation for the primer, undercoat and finish coat sequence and for surface preparation before painting.
- strong RN-HMZAPS cited
BSI
BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014, published 28 February 2009 with Amendment 1 in 2014, committee B/538/3, current; it supersedes BS EN 13120:2004. Clause 1 specifies the requirements internal blinds must fulfil when fitted to a building, and also deals with the significant machinery hazards relating to construction, transport, installation, operation and maintenance of internal blinds, listed in Annex B. It applies whatever the design or materials, and names the covered types: venetian blinds (free hanging, guided, non-retractable), roller blinds (free hanging, side guided, tensioned fabric), vertical blinds (free hanging, top and bottom track, sloping headrail), pleated and honeycomb blinds (free hanging, guided, laterally moving, tensioned), Roman shades and Austrian or festoon blinds. This is the product standard behind the operating-cord safety requirements on new internal blinds, so cite it when comparing corded against cordless or motorised blinds.
- strong RN-9A1H9G cited
BSI
The standard that produces the Euroclass letter, and the one regulation 7(2) of the Building Regulations names by title and ISBN when it requires external wall materials on a relevant building to be Class A2-s1, d0 or A1. Published 31 Jan 2019 and Current. Part 1 provides the reaction to fire classification procedure for all construction products, including products incorporated within building elements, with the sole exception of power, control and communication cables which are classified under EN 13501-6. Products are considered in relation to their end-use application, which is why an insulation board or cladding panel cannot carry a meaningful Euroclass in the abstract: the classification attaches to the product as used in a stated build-up. This is the reference for reading the suffixes as well as the letter, s for smoke production and d for flaming droplets.
Cited in Cladding and Render: The Complete UK Guide (2026), PIR vs Mineral Wool Insulation Compared.
- strong RN-R926HN cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: WITHDRAWN on 5 November 2024, a recent change that matters because decorating notes still quote BS 4800 colour references. BS 4800:2011 (the SET) was published 31 May 2011, ISBN 978 0 580 74345 0, ICS 87.040, committee STI/14, and was the schedule of paint colours for building purposes: the framework behind references such as 00 E 53 or 18 B 25 used in specifications and by trade paint manufacturers. Its predecessor BS 4800:1981 (published 1 January 1982, ISBN 0 580 12336 7) was itself withdrawn on 30 June 1989, so both editions the notes might mean are dead. A note telling a reader to specify a colour to BS 4800 should say the standard has been withdrawn and point to the manufacturer's own colour system or to BS 5252, and reviewers should treat any BS 4800 colour reference as legacy. Catalogue pages confirm numbers, titles, publication dates, withdrawal dates and classification.
- supplier figure RN-4IVU75 cited
Dulux Decorator Centre
One document carrying the published coverage figure for the whole Dulux Trade range, which is what a paint quantity note needs instead of a retailer page. Every emulsion figure is qualified 'on sealed surfaces': Supermatt up to 18 m2 per litre (datasheet 410, pack sizes 5L and 10L, recoat 2 to 4 hours), Vinyl Matt up to 17 m2 per litre, Diamond Matt up to 17, Diamond Eggshell up to 16 m2 per litre, Evolve Matt up to 17. Trim products are lower and unqualified: Diamond Satinwood up to 12 m2 per litre (datasheet 1006, packs 1L, 2.5L, 5L, recoat 6 hours), Quick Dry Gloss up to 12 m2 per litre (datasheet 550, packs 1L, 2.5L, 5L, recoat 6 hours), Quick Dry Undercoat up to 10 m2 per litre. Colour Sampler is 250 ml covering up to 2 m2. It also prints the Supermatt thinning ratios: sealing new or bare surfaces add up to 1 part clean water to 3 parts paint, airless spray up to 1 part water to 5 parts paint, conventional spray up to 1 part water to 2.5 parts paint. Useful ceiling: any guide quoting more than 12 m2 per litre for a water-based gloss or satinwood is quoting more than the manufacturer does.
Cited in How Much Paint Do I Need?.
- very strong RN-BPHKK9
Cadw, Welsh Government
WALES, and it imposes a documentary requirement England does not. A heritage impact statement MUST be submitted with every Welsh listed building consent application alongside detailed plans. Consent is administered by local planning authorities and may be needed for relatively minor work such as replacing an external door, painting or repainting the exterior or interior, or even cleaning. Replacement of traditional windows with UPVC will not normally be acceptable. Routine or like-for-like repairs do not normally need consent, but the criteria are exacting, and demolition always needs consent. Where the authority is minded to grant consent Cadw is normally notified and assesses whether the authority had proper regard to preservation, rather than the merits. The framework is Managing Change to Listed Buildings in Wales, which supplements Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 24: The Historic Environment, alongside Cadw's Conservation Principles.
- very strong RN-SOFU9T
Department for Business and Trade
The UK regulator a note should name when it says a product has been recalled or is unsafe, rather than pointing at a retailer. Part of the Department for Business and Trade, its stated purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm so consumers and businesses can buy and sell with confidence. It is the body behind the product recalls and alerts database, and the enforcement authority behind consumer product safety rules covering items a renovation buys, including corded internal blinds, electrical accessories and lighting.
- very strong RN-DF6UI1
Health and Safety Executive
HSE's construction lead page. It states lead pigments were commonly used in paints for buildings until the 1960s and that lead was not removed from all commonly used paint until the early 1980s, which is the date test any note about stripping paint in an older house needs. The highest-risk activities it names are stripping or preparing leaded paint from doors and windows, working with lead on roofs, hot cutting of lead or leaded paint in demolition, and blast removal of old leaded paint. Health effects include anaemia and kidney disease, with chronic exposure risking kidney, nerve and brain damage, and a link to a small number of occupational cancers. The governing law is the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, which requires employers to protect employees from the risks from lead, applied through an Assess, Control and Review model with FFP3 respiratory protection at an assigned protection factor of 20, changed work methods, dust control, protective clothing, hygiene and medical surveillance.
- very strong RN-DWSXF9
Health and Safety Executive
The HSE leaflet a decorating or period-property note should cite on lead paint. Names the highest-risk activities as blast removal and burning of old lead paint, stripping old lead paint from doors and windows, hot cutting in demolition and dismantling, some painting of buildings, and soldering. Corrects a common misconception: lead is not absorbed through the skin, except as lead alkyls and lead naphthenate, so the routes of entry are breathing in lead dust, fume or vapour and swallowing lead by eating, drinking, smoking or nail-biting without washing hands and face first. Absorbed lead circulates in the blood and is stored mainly in the bones, where it can remain for years without symptoms. Early effects are headaches, tiredness, irritability, constipation, nausea, stomach pains, anaemia and weight loss; continued uncontrolled exposure can cause kidney damage, nerve and brain damage and infertility. Flags that an unborn child is at particular risk, especially in the early weeks before a pregnancy is known. Where exposure is significant as defined in law, the employer must supply protective clothing, launder it, measure airborne lead, supply respiratory protective equipment if the occupational exposure limit cannot be met, and arrange blood-lead medical surveillance.
- very strong RN-KU7LZ2
Health and Safety Executive
Sets the conditions under which work with asbestos does not need a licence. The exposure must be sporadic and of low intensity, with the air concentration not exceeding 0.6 fibres per cubic centimetre measured over 10 minutes, and must not exceed the legal control limit of 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetre of air averaged over a four hour period. Materials listed as non-licensed include asbestos-containing thermoplastic and vinyl floor tiles worked on without substantial breakage, drilling textured decorative coatings to fit fixtures and fittings, painting or repainting asbestos insulating board in good condition, and maintenance of asbestos cement products such as roof sheeting, tiles and rainwater goods provided they are not substantially damaged. Notifiable non-licensed work includes large-scale removal of textured decorative coatings by steaming or gelling, and removal of asbestos cement where the material will be substantially damaged or broken up. This is the reference for anyone lifting old vinyl floor tiles or stripping Artex in a pre-2000 home.
- very strong RN-XZVPDF
Historic Environment Scotland
The most useful of the HES INFORM guides for a retrofit note, because it addresses the failure mode that insulation guides skip. Published 31 August 2020 by Historic Environment Scotland, INFORM Guide, 2.82 MB PDF, audiences Planners and Owners and Conservation and Heritage enthusiasts. Scope stated on the page: the causes and risks of condensation in traditional buildings, how to identify the source of condensation and how to reduce it, with a PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE RISK OF INCREASED CONDENSATION AFTER THERMAL IMPROVEMENTS. That last point is the citable one: a public body stating that insulating a traditional building can increase condensation risk, which contradicts the common claim that insulation simply cures damp.
- very strong RN-3KFYDM
Historic Environment Scotland
SCOTLAND, and it contradicts England directly on one point: conservation area consent still exists in Scotland for the demolition of unlisted buildings, whereas England abolished it in 2013 and folded relevant demolition into planning permission. As at March 2026 Scotland had more than 46,500 listed building records and more than 600 conservation areas. Listed building consent must be applied for from the planning authority before any change that may affect the character of the property, and is almost certainly needed for an extension, structural alterations, partial or total demolition, internal alterations affecting character, and changing windows and doors; cleaning stonework, changing external paint colour and new signage may also need permission. The owner is responsible for repair and maintenance. Planning authorities may hold a character appraisal explaining a conservation area's designation. HES and the Scottish Government Building Standards Division jointly publish the Guide to Conversion of Traditional Buildings to reconcile building standards with conservation.
- very strong RN-1X77D2
HM Revenue and Customs
Defines the boundary of the scheme, which decides whether a given trade's invoice should carry a CIS deduction. Work covered is most construction work to a permanent or temporary building or structure and civil engineering such as roads and bridges, and expressly includes preparing the site such as laying foundations and access works, demolition and dismantling, building work, alterations, repairs and decorating, installing systems for heating, lighting, power, water and ventilation, and cleaning the inside of buildings after construction work. The listed exceptions are architecture and surveying, scaffolding hire with no labour, carpet fitting, making materials used in construction including plant and machinery, delivering materials, and work on construction sites that is clearly not construction such as running a canteen. Confirms contractors must register but subcontractors need not, though unregistered subcontractors suffer deductions at a higher rate, and that the same rules apply to a business based outside the UK doing construction work in the UK.
- very strong RN-NUR86A
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
SI 2002/2676, the regulations that apply the moment a decorator disturbs old lead paint in a pre-1992 home, covering assessment of the risk, prevention or control of exposure, air monitoring, medical surveillance and blood-lead testing, information and training, and the duty to keep records. A note that mentions sanding or stripping paint in a Victorian or interwar house should cite these rather than treating lead paint as a historical curiosity, and should pair them with HSE leaflet INDG305 for the blood-lead action and suspension levels.
- very strong RN-LEICUD
The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk)
SI 2012/1715, the law that sets the maximum VOC content of decorative paints sold in the UK and the reason a tin carries a VOC category letter and a g/l limit. It revoked and remade with amendments the Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/2773) and implements Directive 2004/42/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds from organic solvents in certain paints, varnishes and vehicle refinishing products. Use the contents page to reach the enforcement, labelling and offence provisions; the numerical VOC limits themselves sit in Schedule 2.
- very strong RN-Y8BXXY
UK Health Security Agency and Centre for Climate and Health Security
UKHSA guidance published 7 August 2025, applying to England, on the allergens and irritants in indoor air, useful for any note that claims a renovation improves or harms air quality. States that indoor bioaerosols can contribute up to 34 per cent of indoor air pollution, and that people in Western countries spend the majority of their time indoors. Identifies the protein-based allergens as mould spores, which thrive in damp poorly ventilated spaces such as bathrooms and arise from leaks, condensation, poor heating or inadequate ventilation; house dust mites, which thrive in warm humid environments in bedding, carpets and upholstered furniture; and pet dander from skin flakes, urine and saliva. Separately names non-protein respiratory irritants: volatile organic compounds emitted by paints, cleaning agents and air fresheners, and particulate matter from cooking, smoking and open solid-fuel fireplaces. Warns that energy efficiency and adaptation measures can have unintended consequences for indoor environmental quality, and that poorly installed mechanical ventilation can worsen air quality.
- strong RN-30GXXW
BSI
The workmanship standard a decorator is judged against on site, published 31 October 1989 and still listed as current. BS 8000-12 gives recommendations on basic site workmanship for the tasks frequently carried out in decorative wallcoverings and painting, covering storage and handling of materials, surface preparation and surface defects, adhesives, joints between lengths of wallcovering, painting and cleaning. It directs the reader to BS 3046, BS 5493 and BS 6150 for other aspects, so it should be cited alongside BS 6150, the code of practice for painting of buildings. Committee B/209, ICS 91.200, ISBN 0 580 17793 9.
- strong RN-TUAUMN
BSI
The classification system that lets a masonry paint be compared on measured properties rather than on brand claims, published 17 June 2004 and current but under review. BS EN 1062-1 classifies coating materials and coating systems for exterior masonry and concrete by their physical properties, giving the designation codes for gloss, dry film thickness, grain size, water vapour transmission rate, liquid water permeability and crack bridging that a technical data sheet for an exterior wall paint quotes. Committee STI/28, ICS 87.040 and 91.080.40, identical to EN 1062-1:2004.
- strong RN-H9TQ6I
BSI
The safety test behind a wallpaper's chemical emissions claims, published 15 February 1998. BS EN 12149 sets the methods for determining migration of heavy metals and certain other elements from wallcoverings in roll form, residual vinyl chloride monomer in vinyl wallcoverings, and formaldehyde release. It is the standard a note should point to when explaining what a low-emission or child-safe wallpaper claim actually rests on, rather than relying on a retailer's marketing description.
- strong RN-ATYI6K
BSI
BS EN 13279-1:2008, published 30 June 2009, committee B/544, under review; it supersedes BS EN 13279-1:2005. The BSI overview states it is the first part of the BS EN 13279 series and specifies the characteristics and performance of powder products based on gypsum binder for building purposes, including premixed gypsum building plasters for plastering walls and ceilings inside buildings where they are applied as a finishing material that can be decorated, formulated with additives, admixtures, aggregates and other binders, for both manual and mechanical application. It also applies to gypsum binders for direct site use and for further processing into gypsum blocks, plasterboards, fibre-reinforced boards, fibrous plasterwork and ceiling elements, and to gypsum mortar for internal non load-bearing partitions not exposed to water. It states that building lime as calcium hydroxide may be used as an additional binder, and draws the boundary clearly: where gypsum binder is the principal active binding component the plaster is covered here, and where building lime is the principal binder the plaster falls under EN 998-1. It expressly notes that calcium sulfate used as the binder for floor screeds is not covered by this standard.
- strong RN-IR446Y
BSI
BS EN 13300:2022, published 31 July 2025, committee STI/28, current; it supersedes BS EN 13300:2001. Clause 1 specifies the general system for classifying paints and varnishes for interior walls and ceilings, for decorating new and old, coated and uncoated surfaces. Clause 4 sets the classification headings a specification or product label uses: classification by end use, by chemical type of binder, by gloss, by largest grain size (granularity), by wet scrub resistance, by hiding power for white and light-coloured opaque paints, and by cleanability. This is the standard behind the wet scrub resistance classification that separates a wipeable kitchen or bathroom emulsion from a standard matt, and behind the gloss categories that underlie the matt, eggshell, satin and gloss labels on a tin.
- strong RN-8QIL1K
BSI
The harmonised product standard for solid timber cladding, which is what a UKCA or CE marked cladding board is declared against. Published 30 Jun 2020, Current, with Designated status for UKCA marking. Its scope defines and specifies the relevant characteristics and the appropriate test methods for solid wood products used as panelling and cladding, including siding, for wall and ceiling panelling for internal use and wall and ceiling cladding for external uses. Because it is the harmonised standard, a cladding board sold without a declaration of performance against it, including thermally modified boards sold as Thermowood, is not being marketed on the same basis as one that is.
- strong RN-PZLMVK
BSI
BS EN 15102:2019, published 30 June 2019, committee CW/35, current; it supersedes BS EN 15102:2007+A1:2011, which is withdrawn. Clause 1 applies to wallcoverings in roll form supplied for hanging onto internal walls, partitions or ceilings by means of an adhesive, whose primary purpose is decorative, while noting that some roll wallcoverings may confer minor sound absorption and thermal resistance. It names the companion European Standards that give the additional product definitions and requirements for each type: EN 233 finished wallpapers, wall vinyls and plastics wallcoverings, EN 234 wallcoverings for subsequent decoration, EN 266 textile wallcoverings, EN 13085 cork rolls, and a further standard for heavy duty wallcoverings. Cite it for what the wallpaper types in a buying guide actually are.
- strong RN-BL0KXM
BSI
The test standard behind the child safety devices that must be supplied with a corded blind, published 28 February 2014, current and designated. BS EN 16433 specifies test methods verifying protection from strangulation and applies to all internal blinds covered by EN 13120, insect screens covered by EN 13561 and blinds in sealed glazed units, whether operated manually, with compensating springs or by electric motor. It sets test procedures for tensioning systems, breakaway systems, accumulation systems, tangling and inner cords, with dimensions, masses and forces held to a maximum tolerance of 1 per cent, and tests are run with the longest and most numerous cords the product allows.
- strong RN-O8A6IY
BSI
The companion standard that sets requirements for the safety devices themselves, published 28 February 2014, current and designated. BS EN 16434 covers devices used for protection from strangulation in internal blinds to EN 13120 and insect screens to EN 13561, whether fitted at manufacture or retrofitted, and names the device types: tensioning devices, breakaway devices, accumulation devices, non-tangling devices and inner cord stops. That list is the practical answer for a note explaining what a homeowner should already have on an existing corded blind, and it can also be applied to safety devices for draperies, for which no product standard existed at publication. Committee B/538/3, ICS 91.060.50.
- strong RN-BRK65Y
BSI
The specification behind the washability and light fastness symbols printed on a wallpaper roll label, published 30 November 2016 and current. BS EN 233 sets the permitted grades of washability and colour fastness to light for finished wallcoverings so a consumer or specifier can choose an appropriate paper for a hallway, kitchen or bathroom. It applies to finished wallpapers, wall vinyls and plastics wallcoverings supplied in rolls for hanging on indoor walls and ceilings with adhesive covering the whole interface, and expressly excludes rigid materials, coverings not wholly attached by adhesive, wallcoverings for subsequent decoration such as lining paper, textile wallcoverings, and non-decorative linings including those with thermal or acoustic properties.
- strong RN-N6ZC3R
BSI
BS EN 520:2004+A1:2009, published 22 November 2004 with Amendment 1 in 2009, committee B/544, under review. Clause 1 specifies the characteristics and performance of gypsum plasterboards for building construction, including boards intended for secondary manufacturing operations and boards designed to receive either direct surface decoration or gypsum plaster. The product performance characteristics it covers are reaction to fire, water vapour permeability, flexural strength (breaking load), impact resistance and thermal resistance. It separates out the characteristics that belong to the assembled system rather than the board alone, and are measured on assemblies simulating end use conditions: shear strength, fire resistance, impact resistance, direct airborne sound insulation and acoustic absorption. It also covers additional technical characteristics important for the use and acceptance of the product by the construction industry, the reference tests for them, and evaluation of conformity. This is the standard that defines the plasterboard type letters a merchant lists, so cite it for fire-resistant, moisture-resistant and higher-density board claims.
- strong RN-2YUIH4
BSI
The classification and selection standard for wood coatings, published 30 June 2013, which underpins the distinction a note has to draw between a primer, an undercoat, a stain and a finish on timber. BS EN 927-1 classifies coating materials and coating systems for exterior wood by end use and by film properties, and sets the selection criteria that decide whether a system is suitable for stable, semi-stable or non-stable joinery, which is the technical basis for saying a window or door needs a different paint system from an internal skirting.
- strong RN-2ENLUD
BSI
The measurement behind matt, eggshell, satin and gloss, and the reason those names are not interchangeable between brands. Published 31 October 2014 and current, BS EN ISO 2813 specifies a method for determining the gloss of coatings using three geometries, 20, 60 and 85 degrees, suitable for non-textured coatings on plane opaque substrates. It is the test that BS EN 13300 sheen classes for interior wall and ceiling paints rest on, so a note explaining paint finishes should say the sheen is a measured specular reflection at a stated angle rather than a marketing term. Committee STI/10, ICS 87.040, identical to EN ISO 2813:2014 and ISO 2813:2014.
- strong RN-5X0L82
BSI
BS EN ISO 3758:2023, published 30 April 2024 and current, prepared by committee TCI/82 and identical to EN ISO 3758 and ISO 3758. It is the standard behind the care symbols printed on textile labels, covering washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional dry cleaning, and BSI recommends this version for organisations operating in or with the UK
- strong RN-E6EZEI
BSI (British Standards Institution)
The standard the conservation trade works to, and the one a listed-building or period-property note should name. BS 7913 is paywalled, so only the BSI catalogue page is public; it confirms the current edition is BS 7913:2013, published 31 December 2013, status Current, ISBN 978 0 580 75778 5, prepared by BSI committee B/560 and classified under ICS 91.040.99. The catalogue page states this is the SECOND edition, updated to align with current best practice, and that the standard describes best practice in the management and treatment of historic buildings, applying to historic buildings both WITH and WITHOUT statutory protection, which is the point most renovation articles miss when they treat conservation guidance as relevant only to listed buildings. Its named audience includes owners, users, occupiers and managers of historic buildings, architects, engineers, surveyors, building managers, conservators, planners and local authority building control officers. The listed descriptors show its coverage: conservation, legislation, maintenance, fire safety in buildings, costs, hazard prevention, inspection, repair, building maintenance, design, renovation, building specifications, contracts and records.
- strong RN-445W51
BSI (British Standards Institution)
The accessibility code of practice that Approved Document M sits alongside. Paywalled, so only the catalogue page is public; it confirms BS 8300-2:2018, published 31 January 2018, status Current, and that it is part 2 of a two-part standard, with BS 8300-1:2018 (also published 31 January 2018, also Current) covering the external environment including parking, setting-down points, access routes and approaches to entrances. Part 2 covers external features affecting external access routes, and building interiors including entrances, reception facilities, horizontal and vertical movement and building facilities. Crucially for a home renovation note, the catalogue page states plainly that BS 8300-2 does NOT apply to individual dwellings; its residential scope is nursing, residential and care homes, student accommodation and the COMMON PARTS of blocks of flats. It also confirms the recommendations apply largely to new buildings but can be used to assess and improve existing ones, and that the extent to which they apply to listed and historic buildings is decided case by case.
- strong RN-6SUN79
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 12878:2014 was published 30 April 2014 and supersedes BS EN 12878:2005. It specifies the requirements and test methods for pigments used to colour building materials based on cement, or on cement and lime, covering single pigments, pigment blends, pigment and extender blends in powder or granular form, and aqueous preparations, and it tests for durability, corrosion resistance (that the pigment does not attack the reinforcement or the matrix), heat stability, weather resistance and light fastness. This is the standard a note should cite when telling a reader that coloured mortar, coloured render or coloured concrete must use a pigment fit for a cementitious matrix rather than a general purpose colourant, and it is the reference for why cheap pigments fade or cause efflorescence. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the test detail is paywalled.
- good RN-74RGDK
British Blind and Shutter Association
States that since February 2014 all blinds sold in the UK must comply with child safety standards, meaning they must not contain cords or chains or, if they do, they must be fitted with safety devices. It explains the hazard: cords and chains used to raise or lower a blind or adjust slat angle can form a loop that is dangerous to babies and young children. It recommends choosing safe-by-design styles in any home where young children live or visit, and names the options available for every blind type: motorisation (mains, low voltage, battery or rechargeable, operated by handset, sensor or smart device), wand operation for vertical blinds where a wand fitted to the leading louvre replaces the cord and chain, and gear or crank operation, most commonly used on roller blinds. This is the citation for a blinds-versus-curtains note that touches on child safety.
- good RN-CK4M6V
Finishes and Interiors Sector
The trade body uniting the finishes and interiors supply chain, whose stated aim is to raise standards and improve quality, safety and sustainability in the 13 billion pound finishes, fit-out and interiors sector. Membership covers contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, all vetted against strict quality and safety criteria. Its Knowledge Hub holds Technical Resources, Building Safety Act guidance, health and safety resources, sustainability resources, a Digital Construction toolkit, the Acoustic Verification Scheme, Support for Specifiers and a British Standards section. Other main sections are the Member Directory, Project Library, Skills Hub, Membership Hub and SpecFinish. Use it as the trade authority for drylining, partition and suspended ceiling workmanship, and its Acoustic Verification Scheme when a note claims a partition achieves a stated sound reduction.
- good RN-843FLQ
Painting and Decorating Association
The identity and standing of the trade body a note should name when it advises checking a decorator's membership. The PDA is a non-profit association and describes itself as the only UK-wide trade body dedicated to the painting and decorating sector. It was formed in July 2002 by the merger of the British Decorators Association, originally founded in 1894, and the Painting and Decorating Federation, founded in 1942. It is governed by a management board of elected members under the organisation's constitution and rules, and is a trade association member of Build UK, the Trade Association Forum and the Construction Industry Joint Council, which is the body that sets national wage rates for the trade.
- good RN-96HLGR
Painting and Decorating Association
The UK's only nationwide non-profit trade association for the painting and decorating industry. Members are vetted for quality workmanship, must be fully insured and follow a strict code of practice, and are listed in a nationwide consumer directory. National contractor members, defined as companies exceeding 2 million pounds turnover, are represented at Build UK, CIJC and UNIEP. The association is CITB-recognised, publishes The Decorator magazine, runs the Premier Trophy Awards and apprentice competitions, and promotes the Paint Green environmental initiative. It provides members with legal support and a mediation and conciliation service, which is the route a homeowner can use in a dispute with a member decorator.