MBF Malta

Mediterranean Building Finishes Ltd, usually shortened to MBF, was established in September 1991 and works from St Julian's. Over three decades it has become a well known name in plastering, both inside and outside buildings, and it has widened its range to cover painting, ceilings, insulation, floors, scaffolding and restoration.

For UK readers, the practical value is straightforward. If you own or are buying a villa, a flat or a commercial unit in Malta and need the shell finished, repaired or refreshed, this is a contractor that handles the finishing trades under one roof, and can take on a whole project as a turnkey job.

History and who runs it

MBF has traded since 1991, and it has served homes and businesses for more than thirty years. It is managed today by one of its original owners, Kevin Camilleri, together with his son Keith, which gives the firm continuity between the first projects and the current ones.

Its early products included gypsum plaster and graffiato, a decorative scratched plaster finish, and the firm has grown from that base into a broader building finishes contractor. If you are comparing builders, our guide to builders in Malta lists others, and the painters and decorators directory covers the finishing side.

Internal and external plastering

Plastering is the heart of the business. Internally, MBF finishes retail units, homes, offices, restaurants and hotels. Externally, it applies durable finishes to commercial and residential structures that need to withstand the Mediterranean climate; our Malta weather guide shows how hot, wet and windy conditions vary through the year, which is why exterior work matters here.

The firm also offers a straight wall finish, produced with specially designed pumps and aluminium rules. It can be used inside or outside, and it allows large projects to be plastered in roughly half the time of the manual method. For ceilings, MBF makes false ceiling finishes in contemporary or classic styles, which can also help with acoustics, thermal insulation and fire resistance.

Past work includes the Fortina Hotel extension tower, Midi Tigne Point, the Malta Maritime Trade Centre, The Palace Hotel, the Lufthansa Teknik hangars in Luqa, Pender Gardens in St Julian's and Fort Cambridge in Sliema. If you are weighing up places to stay in that area, see our guide to hotels in Sliema.

Painting, stucco, insulation and floors

The painting service includes high speed spray painting for large areas such as warehouses, industrial spaces and big commercial buildings. MBF also applies stucco, installs wallpaper and repairs concrete spalling, which is the flaking and breaking away of concrete where reinforcement beneath has been affected. The firm repairs the visible damage and also deals with its underlying causes.

Insulation is a separate service. Compressed polystyrene is fixed to external walls and finished with a coloured silicate layer so that the building looks ordinary while losing less heat. A 2008 project using the Cappoto system showed no cracks twelve years later.

For floors, the firm has invested in a machine that pours a screed over the floor, replacing the traditional laying of chippings before tiling. The result is a smooth, uniform surface ready for tiles or other floor finishes.

Scaffolding, restoration and turnkey projects

MBF supplies scaffolding systems for construction sites, adapted to each job. It also restores buildings, with particular emphasis on historic structures built of local limestone, in both interiors and exteriors. That is relevant if you own a character property in a place such as the capital, Valletta or the Three Cities, where limestone buildings are a defining feature.

The turnkey service takes a villa, a medium sized block of apartments or a showroom through all trades to a finished state, ready to move into. For overseas buyers and landlords this single point of contact can save a great deal of coordination. Our Malta relocation guide and about Malta page give more context for anyone planning a longer stay or a move.

Office and how to start

The office is at Riviera Court on Forest Street in St Julian's. Hours are weekdays from 9am to 5pm and Saturday mornings. Nearby, 2B Gallery is another listed local business.

To discuss a project, describe the property, the trades you need and when you hope to start. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the company.