Handyman Putney: from the Embankment to the Upper Richmond Road
Putney is in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and the council has drawn up detailed appraisals for several of its conservation areas. Read together, they show a district with a lot of variety packed into a small space: boathouses and mansion flats by the river, small cottages around the Lower Common and large family houses on the streets around the Upper Richmond Road. Our handyman in Putney works on all of them.
We do not have an office in Putney. We are based in Fulham, at Jerdan Place, and cross the river to work in SW15. For most streets near the bridge and the High Street that is a short trip.
Mansion flats and terraces by the river
Wandsworth Council first designated the Putney Embankment conservation area on 1/4/1971. Its appraisal describes boathouses from the 1860s onwards, terraces on the Embankment from the turn of the twentieth century and a group of mansion flats, the largest of which is Kenilworth Court, built between 1902 and 1904. Ruvigny Gardens, built in 1883 and 1884, has timber sash windows with Georgian glazing bars in the top sash and stock brick fronts trimmed with red brick and terracotta.
In a mansion flat the jobs are mostly indoors. Heavy original doors can drop and drag, old sashes can rattle in their frames, and tall walls make picture and mirror hanging a ladder job. Many blocks have a managing agent who looks after the outside and the common parts, so check what your lease makes your responsibility before booking any outside work. Inside your own flat, our handyman can handle the woodwork, fixings and decorating.
Jobs we help with in Putney
- Sash window cords, beads and draught stripping
- Timber window sill and frame repairs
- Care and painting for steel Crittall windows
- Rehanging heavy doors in mansion flats
- Mirror and picture hanging on tall walls
- Mending timber picket fences and front gates
- Fixing communal doors and closers in converted houses
- Making good after electrical or plumbing work
Cottages and Article 4 rules around the Lower Common
The Putney Lower Common conservation area was designated on 21/7/1978. Its appraisal mentions Nelson Cottages, a terrace of paired two storey cottages from 1862, flat fronted cottages on Lower Richmond Road from about 1882, and larger High Victorian houses on Lower Common South with timber sashes and decorative glazing bars. The council is plain about plastic windows here, saying uPVC replacements usually fail to copy the original detail and are not recommended.
Numbers 15 to 36 Commondale have been covered by an Article 4 direction since 31/5/2000. That means owners need planning permission for changes seen from the road, including new windows and doors, porches, paving over the front garden, gates, boundaries and even painting the outside. The appraisal also asks for the traditional timber picket fences in Commondale to be kept. On those houses we stick to careful repair: new cords, spliced timber, a rehung gate and a picket fence mended rather than replaced with a brick wall.
One more point from the appraisal applies across the area: boundaries more than one metre high next to a road need planning permission. If you want a taller front fence, ask the council first.
Large houses and flat conversions in West Putney
South of the Upper Richmond Road, the West Putney appraisal describes big houses on generous plots. The Putney Park Estate was built mainly between 1895 and 1905, and the council notes that its original timber and Crittall steel windows have an almost complete survival rate. Crittall windows are slim steel framed windows, and they need different care from timber: rust treatment, new seals and paint suited to metal. Balmuir Gardens still has most of its original twelve over one sash windows, meaning twelve small panes above one large one.
The same appraisal says villas on the Upper Richmond Road have been extended and divided into flats, and that some front gardens have been paved for parking. In a converted house, small jobs often sit right on the line between flats: a shared hallway light, a communal front door closer or a gate that serves everyone. Sorting out who is responsible before work starts saves arguments later.
Front gardens, paths and gates
Front gardens come up again and again in the Putney appraisals. The Lower Common appraisal asks for front gardens to stay planted, recommends hedges, and says new hard surfacing needs permission unless it covers less than five square metres or lets water drain through. In West Putney the council notes that some generous front gardens have already been paved for parking.
For a homeowner, that points towards looking after what is already there. Our handyman can jet wash an existing path or drive, reset a few rocking slabs, rebed edging, rehang a sagging gate and repair a timber fence panel. Those jobs keep the front looking cared for without changing the surface. If you are thinking of paving over more of the garden, speak to Wandsworth Council before any work is booked.
Gas and electrical work we arrange
We never do gas work ourselves. Any gas work, such as a boiler or a gas fire, is done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, which the law requires for anyone working on gas. We will arrange this for you. Rewiring a converted flat, adding a new circuit or fitting a new consumer unit (the fuse box) is done by a registered electrician who can self certify the work. We arrange it, and our handyman picks up the making good afterwards.
Getting a free quote in Putney
Send the job through our quote form with your street, the type of home and a photo or two. If you live in a mansion block, include the floor and if there is a lift. Our handyman knows period windows and doors, and we will come back to you with a free quote and a time to come over the bridge.
Who we work with in Putney
- Owners of mansion flats near the Embankment
- Households in cottages around Putney Lower Common
- Families in larger Victorian and Edwardian houses in West Putney
- Freeholders and residents sharing a converted house
- Owners on Article 4 streets who need repairs that keep the original look
Common questions
Do you have an office in Putney?
No. We are based at Jerdan Place in Fulham and cross Putney Bridge to work in SW15. Our own handyman comes over and does the job.
Can I replace my sash windows with uPVC in Putney?
In the Putney Lower Common conservation area, Wandsworth Council says uPVC replacements are not recommended. On Article 4 streets such as numbers 15 to 36 Commondale you need planning permission. Repairing the timber windows you have is usually the simpler route, and that is what we focus on.
Can you look after old Crittall steel windows?
Yes, for routine care. Our handyman can treat surface rust, ease stiff handles and hinges, renew seals and repaint with a suitable metal paint. Badly corroded frames or broken glass in old steel frames need a window specialist.
My picket fence in Commondale is falling apart. Can you repair it?
Yes. The council's appraisal asks for traditional timber picket fences in Commondale to be kept, so we repair or replace individual pales and rails to match. Changing the fence for a wall or railings would need a conversation with the council.
Can you hang a large mirror in a mansion flat with high ceilings?
Yes. We bring suitable ladders and check the wall type first. Mansion block walls vary between solid masonry and lighter partitions, so the fixing is chosen once we know what is behind the plaster.
Who pays for repairs to a shared front door in a converted house?
That depends on your lease or freehold agreement. We are happy to quote and carry out the work once the owners agree, and can send the quote to whoever manages the building.
Can I put up a taller fence at the front of my Putney house?
Wandsworth Council's appraisal notes that boundaries over one metre next to a road need planning permission. Check with the council before ordering materials, then we can fit what is approved.