What you know, and perhaps, what you don’t..
DID YOU KNOW WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Do you know what a cosmetic repair specialist can do, and where we come from… often referred to in the trade as “Plastic Surgeons”, “Polishers”, “SMART Repairers”, “Magic Men” and “Fine Finishers” we evolve from the time old fashioned FRENCH POLISHER, we were originally tasked with applying a traditional coating to some of the world’s most prestigious furniture and fittings. Stately Homes, Castles and Mansions will have employed the FRENCH POLISHER to undertake coatings to protect and enhance the finish of what has now become part of our heritage, priceless pieces of furniture and installations to be admired by all.
The French Polisher, recognised for their excellent skills will have passed techniques, products, recipes, and methods from Master to apprentice over many years, with a code of secrecy only passed from master to apprentice and therefore maintaining the integrity of this craft. As new products and substrates evolved, so to the need for the French Polisher to evolve to meet today’s demands.
NEW BEGINNINGS
“CHP Finishing Services” We are a company based in the Westcountry offering cosmetic surface repairs and coatings to the NEW Build Sector with a background in French Polishing, Modern Coatings, Engineering and Manufacturing, we were able to provide a diverse and complex range of skills and products to enable THE construction and house builders to perfect and complete projects on time for their customers. For more than 30 years Chris our company Director and his Team have worked to develop methods, products, and materials to support the most demanding customers and the most challenging of situations.
NOT JUST WOOD FINISHING
We have been repairing all manner of surfaces, for example including;
⦁ A Sandstone War Grave Headstone, which had been battered into 6 pieces in a Plymouth cemetery, was repaired with pride, care and attention resting it back to as good as new.
⦁ Then we were tasked with repairing 72 fixing holes incorrectly drilled into an aluminium roof which needed repairing quick smart.
⦁ Demanding repairs to the penthouse apartment in Exeter Devon believed to be purchased by Deborah Meaden the British businesswoman and TV personality known for her appearances on the BBC’s Dragons' Den “No pressure there”!
⦁ And of course, not forgetting the significant challenge when helping to overcome an issue with accidental damage to precast sandstone window sills for national, regional and bespoke developers.
⦁ A stone repair system developed by Chris is now proudly applied to stone work on almost all Major House Builders throughout the country.
⦁ In Chagford Devon a Rood Screen in a quaint 12-century church had been damaged by scaffolders attending to the roof – CHP Finishing to the rescue…
Chris and his Team at CHP Finishing are proud to work alongside their customers new and old including; Redrow Homes, Vistry Partnership, Linden Homes, Barratt Homes, Persimmon Homes, Bloor, Burrington, Summerfield Homes, McCarthy & Stone, Taylor Wimpey, Galliford Try, Keepmoat Homes, Newland Homes, Bellway Homes, Morgan Sindall and many more, we recognise the need to achieve the fine finish expected by todays discerning customer and look forward to working with our customers across all our regions whilst we continue to develop and overcome the impossible! But not just large building chains, we also deliver our unique and bespoke service to anyone with a need, the individual trade, homeowner, hotelier, guest house owner, local council, or Mrs Jones at No. 62 who has just burnt a patch on her kitchen worktop.
HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE
If it’s a damaged surface we can generally successfully SMART repair an area the size of a 20 pence piece or 20mm x 20mm, this will of course largely depends on the substrate and the decorative nature and gloss level, each area of damage will have its characteristics and as such each with its challenges, of course, it’s not all about the right materials, equally the ability of the attending Technician who will have received the highest quality training.
NOT ALL COSMETIC REPAIRERS ARE THE SAME
Ok, this is a contentious issue, why use the services of one company over another? We are very aware that our industry has evolved from the days of autonomy and the initial WOW factor once common in the industry, which has now become the everyday expectation, but “not all apples are the same”, since the initial beginnings we have seen many take up the title of Cosmetic Repairer forming their versions of the craft known by many names - Surgeons, Magic Men, Miracle, Wizard and the like, I wonder how long it will be before someone will use the name “Paul Daniels Cosmetic Repair” (1980’s Paul Daniels, magician and television presenter for those too young to remember). The truth is not all are the same, and very often we witness some poor attempts at repair and some with an inability to take on even the most basic of repairs, this, in turn, has created what we believe to be a sub-standard acceptance across the industry with many customers being sold short of the standards they should expect.
SO, WHAT IS IMPORTANT WHEN SELECTING YOUR COSMETIC REPAIR AND FINISHING SERVICE
Can they achieve a very high standard of repair –
“This should be the basic first and utmost”.
Can they deliver this quality over a very wide range of substrates –
“This is a must if you want to get the best return for your investment”.
Can they completely resurface when a cosmetic repair is not possible –
“ we believe a decent cosmetic repair service should be able to offer complete full surface refinishing”.
Can they achieve sufficient quantity without compromising on quality
“It’s no good paying a whole day for just one or two simple repairs, you should expect a decent amount of work completed without compromising quality”.
Will they honour their repair with integrity-
“In other words, are they honest, will they offer best practices, best materials, and ensure they offer and deliver a duty of care policy”.
Can they deliver on time -
“It’s no good if they can’t get to you in time, but likewise getting to you and producing poor quality is of little help!”
Are they honest -
“This should perhaps be at the top of the list, all too often some workers become shirkers; starting late, leaving early, taking long breaks, spending more time on their mobile phones and not delivering good value for money”.
Are they compliant -
“Not just their health and safety and accreditations; but do they care, will they do all possible to help you to achieve the best possible outcome”.
Are they an ambassador for your company -
“When with a customer they should ensure a top-quality service at all times”.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SMART REPAIR
SMART = (Small, Medium, Area, Repair, Techniques) this is where we aim to repair the damaged surface by keeping the repair area as small as possible; however, we not only repair a small chip to a surface but very often we are tasked with complete resurfacing in-situ or back at our workshop in Exeter Devon.
We can SMART repair and where required completely resurface the following;
⦁ Worktops
⦁ Doors
⦁ Garage doors
⦁ Windows
⦁ Baths
⦁ Showers
⦁ sinks
⦁ Flooring
⦁ Brick
⦁ Stone
⦁ tiles
⦁ And more…
The above all have their characteristics and the ability to repair each of these will depend on several features;
⦁ Size of damage
⦁ Type of substrate
⦁ Decorative nature
⦁ Texture
⦁ Colour
⦁ Gloss level
⦁ Shape
⦁ Position
⦁ Environment
CAN ANYTHING BE REPAIRED
Most surfaces can be repaired, but some are near impossible, we will do all we can to help. Each surface has its own characteristics and limitations, we at CHP Finishing Strive to develop our materials and techniques to overcome most of the common issues related to accidental surface damage. All is not lost if a SMART repair cannot be achieved, we also specialise in complete surface refinishing both in situ and at our workshop in Exeter, where colour changes, high-quality specialist polishing, and fine finishing applications are carried out.
We commonly re-spray, in-situ; Kitchen Cupboards, Garage Doors, Front Doors, Soffit Boards, Porch Canopies, French and Patio Doors, Shower Trays, Baths and much more, and if it can’t be done in-situ, we can attend to it at our “Repair-Shop” in Exeter Devon.
WHY CAN’T WE PRICE PER CHIP
Well actually we can if we have good images of the damage, but for the house builder, we want to be as cost-effective as possible, if your a Site Manager or quantity surveyor and you have a list of “snags”, we aim to complete as many as possible within a full or half day booking if you have a decent well prepared list and booked us for either a half day or full day, we may even get each repair down to as little as £20 or £30 each, the price will depend on the complexity of the repair as no two chips are the same, each substrate will have different characteristics, but it perhaps goes without saying; Our aim, whatever the price, is to be a “fraction of the cost of replacement”, and a fraction of the all-important time.
Working with you is our objective, working with us should be your pleasure.
Thank you for taking the time to get this far, if we are already working with you, thank you for choosing CHP Finishing Services, if there is anything more we can do please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are new to us, we hope you will allow us to demonstrate our genuine desire to help.