House painters in Balwyn North

Homes in Balwyn North

Unlike Balwyn, south of Belmore Road, most of Balwyn North was developed from the late 1940s to the 1970s. Typical homes are cream or pale brick houses with low-pitched tiled roofs, wide eaves and large timber or steel-framed windows. There are also architect-designed mid-century homes, some with flat or skillion roofs, feature stone walls, timber panelling and walls of glass.

Balwyn North has seen a great deal of knock-down rebuild, so many streets now pair original post-war houses with large double-storey homes in render, often in contemporary whites, greys and charcoals, with painted timber or aluminium details.

The two kinds of house need different thinking. On a post-war home the brick usually stays as it is and the work is in the eaves, windows and doors. On a new build, it is big flat walls of render, where every patch and roller line shows in strong light.

What to look for on a Balwyn North repaint

• Cream brick left as it is. Cream brick is a big part of a post-war home’s character, and painted brick cannot easily be taken back. On most of these homes the brick is cleaned and the eaves, fascias, windows and doors are repainted.
• Steel and timber window frames. Original steel frames rust at the corners, and timber frames crack at the joints. Each is prepared back to a sound surface and primed with a primer made for the metal or timber.
• Dark colours on render. Very dark colours absorb more heat, which adds stress to render and cladding in full sun. Paint makers offer heat-reflective versions of many dark colours, worth asking about at the inspection.
• Heritage Overlays. Some Balwyn North homes and streets are in a Heritage Overlay under the Boroondara Planning Scheme. Painting an unpainted surface then needs a permit, so check VicPlan before changing colours.