Interior house painting in Melbourne

Surfaces and finishes we work with

Most Melbourne homes mix modern plasterboard with older solid plaster, timber trims and painted doors, and each surface needs its own treatment. New plasterboard and patched areas take a sealer or undercoat first, so the top coats dry to an even colour. Older plaster often has fine cracks around cornices and door frames that need raking out and filling before they are painted over.

We match the finish to how each room is used:

• Flat or matt on ceilings, where it hides joins and light reflections.
• Low sheen or matt on walls in living areas and bedrooms.
• Semi-gloss or gloss on doors, skirting boards and architraves, which take knocks and need wiping.
• Paint with a mould inhibitor in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens.

Our guide to paint sheen levels explains the choices, and painting kitchens and bathrooms covers wet areas and mould.

Preparation is most of the job

The paint is only as good as the surface under it. Before any colour goes on we fill holes and dents, sand the repairs flush, gap the joins between walls and trims, and wash down greasy surfaces such as kitchen walls. Water stains and marks are sealed with a stain-blocking primer so they do not bleed back through.

In homes built before 1970, old paint may contain lead. We raise this at the inspection and plan the preparation around it, because lead paint should never be dry sanded. Our guide to lead paint in older homes explains why.

Ceilings, plaster repairs and feature walls

Ceilings show every flaw because light rakes across them from the windows. Water stains from an old leak are sealed with a stain-blocking primer once the leak is fixed, sagging or cracked plaster around cornices is repaired, and ceilings are finished in a flat paint that hides joins.

Small plaster repairs are part of every interior job: picture hook holes, dents from furniture, cracks over doorways and the patches left after a new power point or a removed fitting. Repairs are filled, sanded flush and spot primed so they disappear under the top coats. Larger damage, such as a collapsed ceiling or a wall that needs replastering, is a job for a plasterer first, and we can paint once it is done.

A feature wall adds depth to a room without repainting it all. Our colour consultation helps choose a shade that works with the rest of the scheme, and our guide to testing paint colours shows how to try it first.

Cupboards and built-ins need a tougher system than walls; see kitchen cabinet painting. If you are getting ready to sell, pre-sale painting covers what to repaint first.

Paint systems and brands

We use premium interior paints from Dulux, Taubmans and Wattyl and follow each manufacturer’s system for the surface: the right sealer or undercoat, then two full top coats. Water-based paints are the standard for walls and ceilings, and low-odour options are available if someone in the house is sensitive to paint smell. Your quote sets out the colours and finishes for each area, so you know what is going on your walls.

What a day on the job looks like

We agree start and finish times with you before work begins. Each day starts with covering floors and furniture in the rooms we are working in, and ends with tools packed away, drop sheets folded and walkways clear. We work room by room, so most of the house stays usable and bedrooms can usually be slept in.

Before the job starts it helps to clear small items, pictures and valuables from the rooms being painted. Our checklist on how to prepare your home for painters covers the rest. At the end we walk through every room with you and fix anything missed before we leave.

What affects the price of interior painting

Every interior is quoted after a free site inspection, because the same floor area can be a very different job from one house to the next. The main things that change the price are:

• The number and size of rooms, and the height of ceilings and stairwells.
• The condition of the walls: cracks, water damage and old patch repairs take time.
• How many colours you choose, and whether trims, doors and ceilings are included.
• How much furniture needs moving, and whether the house is lived in during the work.

Our guides to what it costs to paint a room and what it costs to paint a whole house in Melbourne give current price ranges, and what a painting quote should include helps you compare quotes line by line.