Back To FAQ’s

Exterior Painting FAQs

How often should the outside of my house be painted?

Approx. every 10 years depending on the following factors:

  • Acrylic paint should last approx.10 – 15 years.
  • Enamel paints tend to crack with age and generally won’t weather as well as acrylic paint, requiring painting approx. every 3-6 years.
  • Northern and western exposures won’t last as long as southern and eastern exposures due to the harsh weather conditions.
  • Dark colours fade more quickly than light colours.
  • Painting more frequently can be less expensive than waiting until the paint is peeling as the majority of time can be in preparation rather than painting. Old weathered timber won’t hold paint like new timber and the paint job may not be as long-lasting.
  • Maintaining your paint job will not only keep your home looking it’s best, it will also reduce the risk of dry-rot, termites and other costly problems that come from neglect.

Exterior Painting OH&S Issues

When painting the exterior of homes and buildings painters need to consider safe working practices particularly access of multi-storey buildings, gables etc.The main areas we need to assess are as follows:

  • Height access
  • Power lines
  • How and where to use height access equipment such as booms
  • Council requirements for working on pavements and roads
  • How to deal with toxic fumes and dust

Exterior painting – what you can expect:

  • All surfaces to be painted should be cleaned prior to painting.
  • Mildew must be treated.
  • Loose paint must be scraped back and the surface sanded smooth.
  • Gaps are to be filled to prevent moisture from penetrating the surface.
  • All loose nails should be re-set and re-puttied as necessary.
  • Loose and/or missing window glaze should be replaced.
  • Bare timber and metal is to be primed prior to painting.
  • Rust is to be sanded and treated with a quality rust primer/undercoat.
  • Only quality paints are to be used to ensure longevity.
  • A minimum of 2 coats should be applied to all exterior surfaces. When paint has been taken back to a bare surface eg bare timber weatherboards, we recommend either 3 coats of a self-priming paint or 1 coat of primer plus 2 coats of exterior paint.
  • Excess paint should be removed from windows and the entire area cleaned.
  • Touch-up paint should be labelled and left for future use.

Note: it is unrealistic to expect painters to remove all old paint or fill every imperfection. It is standard practice to sand surfaces to ensure a stable base for painting. This can leave paint ridges which show through the new paint work. Please be sure to advise your painter at the quotation stage if this is not acceptable to you.