Weatherboard house painting in Melbourne

What we look for on weatherboards

Timber moves, and paint on weatherboards fails where water gets in and the timber moves under it. The usual causes are moisture entering through unsealed laps and end grain, sun-damaged grey fibres that the old paint was never properly bonded to, rusting nail heads, and paint applied over dirt, mould or chalky coatings. Each of these needs fixing before you repaint, or the same faults come back after a couple of winters.

Our guide to painting weatherboard houses covers preparation, products and the common problems in detail.

Preparation, board by board

Most of the hours on a weatherboard job go into preparation. We test the old paint with a tape test to find where it has lost its grip, wash the walls and let them dry, then scrape and sand back to a firm edge. Popped nails are punched back in and rusty heads are primed so they do not bleed through. Splits and holes are filled with flexible exterior filler, and joints around windows, doors and trims are sealed.

Weatherboard houses built before 1970 very often have lead paint under the newer coats. We plan the preparation for that from the start, with wet methods and careful clean-up rather than dry sanding. Our guide to lead paint in older homes explains the risks.

Timber repairs before painting

Rot usually shows up at the bottom boards, under windows and at the base of verandah posts, where water sits. We check for soft, split and borer-damaged boards during the free inspection and point them out, so any repairs are written into your quote before work starts rather than discovered halfway through.

Paint systems for weatherboards

For most Melbourne weatherboards the right finish is a premium 100% acrylic exterior paint from Dulux, Taubmans or Wattyl, applied as two full coats over primed timber. Acrylics stay flexible as the boards move and let moisture vapour out rather than trapping it under the film. Very dark or tannin-rich timbers get a stain-blocking primer first.

• Low sheen on the boards, where it hides dents and uneven timber.
• Semi-gloss on fascias, trims and verandah posts, which need to be tougher and washable.
• Gloss on doors, window frames and fretwork for a hard-wearing, traditional look.

We paint the underside edge of each board before the face and keep a wet edge along one or two boards at a time, which avoids lap marks and gets paint into the joints where water would otherwise enter.

Weather and timing

Weatherboards need to be dry when they are painted, and the paint needs mild conditions to cure. We follow the sun around the house, avoid painting in direct heat, and stop early enough that the last coat is dry before evening dew. Our article on the best time to paint a house exterior in Melbourne explains how the seasons affect the work.

What affects the price of weatherboard painting

Weatherboard jobs are priced after a free site inspection. The main factors are:

• How much of the old paint has failed, and how much scraping and sanding it needs.
• Whether the house was built before 1970 and lead-safe preparation is needed.
• Rotten or damaged boards that need replacing.
• The height of the house, access around it, and the amount of trim, fretwork and verandah detail.

Our guide to exterior house painting costs in Melbourne gives current price ranges.