Exterior house painting in Melbourne

Every surface needs its own system

A Melbourne house often has three or four different surfaces outside, and each one fails in its own way. We prepare and paint them separately rather than treating the whole house as one wall.

• Weatherboard moves with the seasons, so laps and end grain have to be sealed and the paint has to stay flexible. See weatherboard house painting.
• Render holds moisture and cracks as the house moves. Cracks are repaired and salts treated before it is coated. See render painting and crack repair.
• Painted and bagged brick needs washing and sealing. Face brick that has never been painted is usually best left as it is.
• Gutters, downpipes, iron lace and metal fences need rust treatment and a metal primer.
• Decks, pergolas and fences take either paint or stain, depending on the timber and how it is used. Our guide to painting vs staining compares them.

Period homes have their own requirements, including council Heritage Overlays and lead paint. Our heritage house painting page explains how we approach them.

Preparation that makes paint last

Most exterior paint failures trace back to preparation, not to the paint. We wash the walls to remove dirt, mould and chalky old coatings, scrape and sand flaking paint back to a firm edge, punch and prime rusty nail heads, and fill and seal gaps around windows, doors and trims so water cannot get behind the new paint. Bare timber and repaired areas are spot primed before the top coats.

On homes built before 1970 we treat old paint as possibly lead-based until it has been tested, and plan the preparation so it is never dry sanded or burnt off. Our guide to peeling, cracking and blistering paint explains what the common failures mean.

Paint, sheen and colour

We use premium exterior acrylics from Dulux, Taubmans and Wattyl, applied to each manufacturer’s specification, usually two full top coats over the right primer. Low sheen is the usual choice for walls because it hides uneven boards and render, with semi-gloss or gloss on trims, doors and window frames. Where render keeps cracking, a flexible membrane coating may suit better than standard paint.

Colour affects how long a finish lasts as well as how it looks: dark colours absorb more heat and put extra stress on timber and render. A colour consultation lets you test options on the house before anything is ordered.

Weather and scheduling

Exterior paint needs dry surfaces and mild conditions to cure properly. We plan the work around the forecast, follow the sun around the house so we are not painting walls in direct heat, and finish early enough that the last coat is dry before evening dew. If rain is coming, we move to sheltered areas or reschedule rather than paint wet walls. Our article on the best time to paint a house exterior in Melbourne explains the seasons.

What a day on the job looks like

You do not need to be home. We need access around the outside of the house and a power and water point. Garden beds, paving, windows and outdoor fittings are covered or masked before we start each area, and ladders and equipment are packed away safely at the end of each day. We let you know before we work near doors and windows you use, and we keep paths clear for you, visitors and deliveries.

What affects the price of exterior painting

Exterior jobs are quoted after a free site inspection, because condition and access change the work far more than floor area does. The main factors are:

• The size of the house, the number of storeys and whether scaffolding or extra access equipment is needed.
• The condition of the existing paint and how much scraping, sanding and repair it needs.
• The surfaces involved: weatherboard, render, brick and metal each take different preparation.
• Timber repairs, lead paint and the amount of trim and decorative detail.

See our guide to exterior house painting costs in Melbourne for current price ranges, and how often to repaint to plan the next cycle.