For what an exterior repaint covers and how to book a free on-site quote, see our exterior house painting service page. Here the focus is the preparation itself and the days before the painters arrive.
Call Ross on 0468 444 654.
Why preparation matters more outside
Western Sydney exteriors deal with intense UV on northern and western elevations, summer heatwaves in the Penrith basin, driving winter rain and damp, shaded southern walls. Exterior paintwork is the barrier protecting your timber, render, brick and steel, and those conditions find any weakness underneath it:
- Paint over chalking or dirt does not bond properly and can peel away.
- Loose edges left in place lift again as the surface expands and contracts.
- Mould that is painted over rather than treated grows back through the new coat.
- Bare or weathered timber left unprimed absorbs moisture, and the coating fails early.
Preparation is what lets the paint do the job it is designed for. It is also the part of the job that varies most from one house to the next.
Preparation by surface
To ensure an exterior coating lasts 10 to 15 years, a high-performance system must be tailored to the substrate. Different building materials fail in different ways, so exterior preparation has to be matched to the surface:
- Rendered and masonry walls: a thorough pressure wash to remove chalking and dirt, then cutting out drummy render, filling cracks with a flexible filler and priming porous areas.
- Weatherboards and exterior timber: scraping peeling paint back to a sound edge, sanding weathered grey timber fibres, spot-priming bare wood and sealing gaps at board overlaps.
- Eaves and fascia boards: scraping loose coating, treating surface mould and priming exposed bargeboards before the finish coats.
- Metal gates, railings and trims: wire-brushing surface rust, applying a rust-inhibiting primer, then a finish suited to metal.
Rotted timber, failing render and similar damage are assessed at the inspection, so any repair work is clear before the job starts.
How to get your home ready
The painters handle the preparation itself, but a few things on your side make it faster and the finish cleaner. In the days before work starts:
- Move cars out of the driveway or carport if they sit near walls being painted or sprayed.
- Clear pot plants, outdoor furniture, barbecues and bins away from the walls.
- Cut back shrubs and branches touching the house so every surface can be reached.
- Take down wall-mounted items you want kept, such as hose reels, house numbers or decorations, or point them out so they can be masked.
- Keep pets inside or away from the work area, and keep windows closed on the side being painted.
- Make sure side passages, gates and the back yard can be reached.
- Let neighbours know if the work is close to a shared fence or boundary.
If something cannot be moved, mention it at the inspection so it is protected and accounted for in the quote.
Washing, drying and the weather
Pressure cleaning is usually the first job, and surfaces must be completely dry before any filler, primer or paint goes on. The weather affects the preparation as much as the painting:
- Rain or heavy dew after washing can push back the next step.
- Strong wind makes spray work unsuitable because of overspray.
- Extreme heat or cold puts surfaces outside the coating manufacturer’s recommended range.
A short weather delay is part of doing the preparation properly, not a sign the job has stalled.
What to look for in a quote
Because preparation varies so much, it is worth reading how a quote describes it. A useful exterior quote states:
- Which surfaces are being prepared and painted.
- How the walls will be cleaned.
- How cracks, loose paint and bare timber will be treated.
- Which primers or undercoats go on repaired or bare areas.
- The coating system and the number of finish coats.
- Any access equipment the job needs.
Our written quotes are itemised this way after a free on-site inspection.
