House painters in Templestowe Lower

Homes in Templestowe Lower

Templestowe Lower was mostly built up in the 1960s and 1970s, as orchards gave way to housing. The typical home is a brick veneer house, single-storey or split-level to suit the slope, with timber eaves, fascias and window frames, a carport or garage, and often a timber deck or verandah out the back. Some streets have weatherboard or part-weatherboard homes from the same years.

Many of these houses have been extended or renovated over the decades, so it is common to find original timber windows next to newer aluminium ones, or a rendered extension on a brick house. Around Macedon Square and along the main roads, some older blocks have been redeveloped as units and townhouses.

Because the homes were built at much the same time, many are now on a similar repaint cycle. The original timber has usually been painted several times, and it is the condition of those older layers that decides how much preparation a job needs.

What to look for on a Templestowe Lower repaint

• Original timber windows. Sills and lower sashes on the weather side are often cracked and bare. Failing paint is scraped back, soft timber flagged for repair and bare wood primed before two top coats.
• Lead in the oldest layers. The Lead Alert guide says homes built before 1970 are the most likely to have lead paint. Original windows, doors and trims on 1960s homes should be tested before sanding.
• Old and new surfaces on one house. An extension in render or cladding beside original brick and timber needs the right primer on each surface, and colours chosen so the two parts read as one house.
• Steep yards and high decks. Homes that step down the hill have tall walls on the low side and decks well off the ground. Access is planned at the inspection and set up under OH&S procedures.