Assess the coating
Sound paint, chalking, peeling and bare patches are marked before any product is chosen. The sunny side and the sheltered side of the same house are often in different condition.
Exterior painting
Professional Exterior House Painters in Geelong
Exterior painting protects and presents the outside of a house. Weatherboards, render, timber trim and previously painted brick are assessed separately. The house painting page is the overview when the enquiry includes the interior as well.
Outside the house
Exterior coatings have to survive the weather
The photograph is Reid Street, Barwon Heads: weatherboards washed, loose paint removed, cracks filled, surfaces sanded, then two finish coats. That sequence is the point of exterior work. Colour on its own does not keep a failing coating on the wall.
Deck painting, deck staining and fence painting are described on the deck and fence page.
Surfaces
Exterior surfaces we paint
Each of these has been part of a documented job or is a normal part of an exterior house scope. Unpainted brick is assessed on its own. A coating is difficult to reverse, so it is discussed rather than assumed.
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Weatherboards
Reid Street was a weatherboard repaint. Boards move, so loose paint, gaps and bare timber are dealt with before finish coats. -
Render
Dryden Way and Highland Way included rendered walls. Render is cleaned and checked for cracks before it is coated. -
Painted brick
Previously painted brick can be recoated after the old coating is assessed. Bare brick is a different decision, because paint is difficult to reverse. Whether a particular unpainted wall should be coated is discussed for that wall. -
Masonry details
Sills, plinths and other masonry are included only where they are already painted or where a coating is the agreed treatment. -
Eaves and fascias
Highland Way included fascia, eaves, render and downpipes. These junctions fail earlier than sheltered walls. -
Doors and timber trim
Polo Place included timber windows and doors. Timber needs a coating that can move with it, after the bare or weathered spots are prepared.
Preparation
Why exterior preparation matters
Exterior paint fails at the bond with the old coating or the substrate. A new coat over loose, chalky or damp material repeats the failure.
Remove what is loose
Peeling and flaking paint is taken off. Painting over it traps the failure. This is coating removal for the paint job. Structural repairs are a different question and should be mentioned if they are needed.
Clean
Dirt, salt and chalk stop a new coating from holding. Washing is matched to the surface. Render, for example, is not scrubbed as if it were hard timber.
Fill and sand
Suitable cracks and small defects are filled. Rotten timber, failed flashings and leaks are not repaired with filler. Those need to be fixed before painting, by the right trade if they are outside painting.
Prime and coat
Bare and patched areas are primed. The finish coats are chosen for the substrate and the exposure. There is no single coating that suits every elevation.
Watch the weather
Rain, surface moisture and temperature change how a coating cures. Work is planned around suitable conditions. A wet week moves the job. It does not get painted through.
Poor preparation is the expensive version
A coating that peels in a season has to be done again, usually with more removal than the first visit. The preparation is the part worth comparing in a quote.
Local conditions
Painting for Geelong conditions
Geelong is not one climate. A house in Barwon Heads and a house further inland do not weather at the same rate, so the coating plan follows the property.
Sun and UV
North and west elevations fade and chalk sooner. Reid Street’s weatherboards and the rendered homes in Highton show why each side is assessed, rather than copying one specification around the building.
Rain and moisture
Paint needs a dry, suitable surface. Showers, shade that stays damp, and water getting in behind a coating are different problems. Paint does not fix a leak.
Wind and temperature
Wind drives dust into wet paint and speeds drying unevenly. Cold or very hot conditions change the working day. The schedule follows the forecast for that job.
Salt near the coast
Homes closer to the coast, including work at Barwon Heads and Torquay, collect salt. That is a reason to wash and to choose a coating for that exposure. It is not a description of every Geelong suburb.
Replacement timing
When should exterior paint be replaced?
There is no fixed year count that suits every house. Exposure, the last coating and how well it was prepared decide the interval.
Peeling or flaking
The coating has lost its bond. It has to come off before anything new goes on.
Chalking and fading
A powdery surface or a colour that has bleached may still be attached. It still needs cleaning, and sometimes more preparation, before recoating.
Cracking
Fine cracking can be a coating at the end of its life. Cracks that open to the substrate need to be filled only after the cause is understood.
Timber that is weathering
Bare or greying timber trim has lost its coating. It needs preparation back to a sound surface. Soft or rotten timber needs repair before it is painted.
Exterior quotes
What affects exterior painting costs?
Height and preparation move exterior prices more than the colour. No price range is published here.
The building
Size and access come first.
- How much wall, trim and eave is included.
- Storeys, and whether ladders or other access are required.
- Gardens, paths and what has to be protected.
- How many colours and trims are in the scope.
The surface
Condition and material come next.
- Peeling paint takes longer than a sound surface.
- Weatherboard, render, timber and painted brick are prepared differently.
- Bare patches and stains change the primer.
- The exposed side of the house may need more work than the sheltered side.
Ask what happens if the weather turns
A useful exterior quote says how rain and unsuitable conditions are handled, and what preparation is included before the finish coats.
Exterior projects
Exterior house projects
Dryden Way, Highland Way and Polo Place are in Highton. Reid Street is weatherboard in Barwon Heads. Swallowtail Drive in Torquay included the exterior of a full repaint. The project pages describe the work. They do not share one specification.
Exterior House Painting in Barwon Heads — Reid Street
Highlight Painting prepared and repainted the weatherboards of a two-storey coastal home at Reid Street in Barwon Heads, as an exterior house painting project.
View project
Exterior House Painting in Highton — Dryden Way
Highlight Painting completed a full exterior house painting update at Dryden Way in Highton, on a two-storey rendered home with classical detailing, set above the street on a sloping block.
View project
Exterior House Painting in Highton — Highland Way
Highlight Painting repainted the exterior of a modern two-storey corner home at Highland Way in Highton. The exterior house painting scope covered the fascia, eaves, rendered walls and downpipes.
View project
Exterior House Painting in Highton — Polo Place
Highlight Painting repainted the exterior of a large rendered home at Polo Place in Highton. The exterior house painting scope covered the fascia, rendered walls, and timber windows and doors.
View project
House Painting in Torquay — Swallowtail Drive
Highlight Painting completed interior and exterior house painting at Swallowtail Drive in Torquay. Inside, the walls were repainted, including feature walls at the fireplace and in a rear room. Outside, the timber deck was sanded and re-stained, and the exterior window frames were painted.
View projectQuestions
Exterior painting questions
How often should a house exterior be repainted?
When the coating is fading, chalking, cracking or losing adhesion, and when the bare surface is starting to show. A sheltered wall and a west-facing wall do not age together. A fixed interval for every Geelong house would be a guess.
Can you paint over existing exterior paint?
Yes, when the existing coating is sound and has been cleaned. Peeling and flaking paint is removed first. Painting over loose material is how the new coat fails.
Does exterior painting require priming?
Primer is used on bare, patched or stained areas, and where the existing coating will not hold a finish coat. Sound, clean paint does not automatically get a full primer coat.
Can brick and render be painted?
Render and previously painted brick are normal exterior surfaces and are assessed first. Bare brick is discussed separately. A coating on unpainted brick is difficult to undo, and some brick needs to breathe.
What happens if it rains during an exterior project?
Wet surfaces are not painted. The work waits for suitable conditions. How many days that adds depends on the weather and how much of the job is already open. It is discussed at the time, not promised as a fixed delay.
How long does exterior painting take?
Height, access, the amount of loose paint and the weather decide it. A single-storey sound wall is not the same as a two-storey elevation that needs stripping. The quote states a working duration once those facts are known.
What affects the cost of exterior painting?
The area, the height, access, the material, the condition of the current coating, the preparation and the number of colours. Preparation is usually the large variable.
Exterior quotes
Request an exterior painting quote
Tell us the suburb, the surfaces and whether any of the coating is already peeling. Weather will be part of the plan.