Four Steps to a Great Painting Job: Case Study in Surry Hills

There are three essential requirements for a great painting job.

The first is to decide what needs to be done, how it is going to be done,  and why it is going to be done.  A couple of years ago, we painted neighbouring terraces in Surry Hills – each identical – but, because the owners had different expectations, the two jobs  were completely different.   One owner wanted a heritage restoration, and classic whites.  The other owner wanted a thorough preparation, with a historical colour scheme.

Drawing up the scope is essential and determines how much time will be spent on ‘prep’, what the customer’s expectations are, the paint system to use, and what is included in the job and what is not.

The second step is surface preparation, which is essential for a long-lasting paint job.   The surface has to be clean, sound and ready to receive a coat of paint.   Generally, we fill holes and cracks, and make services smooth.   The woodwork contained lead based paint.  The two houses in Surry Hills are again a good example; the heritage restoration required full scaffold and stripping the paint back to the substrate.  The second Terrace with thorough preparation was accessed from a mechanical boom.

The third step is painting, which requires a good eye, good hand coordination, and patience.   The Heritage restoration was painted in Whites, with a matt elastomeric system on the Masonry with silicon enamel on the woodwork.  The next-door terrace with historic colours was painted in semi gloss Weathershield for the masonry, and Dulux Aquanamel for the windows.   There was a great deal of ‘cutting in’ all the different colours on the decorative features.  All the paints used were Dulux (we are Dulux Accredited Members – since 2003).

Identical homes: two completely different jobs!  They both looked wonderful and look great two years on.  The heritage house was highly commended in the Master Painters Awards for Excellence 2012 for Heritage and Restoration Work.