Exterior house painting in the Inner West: preparation, primers and coats

The finish you see lasts only as long as the preparation under it. Here is the sequence a good exterior repaint follows.

What an exterior repaint covers

Exterior painting covers walls, eaves, fascias, gutters and trim. In the Inner West it is often done on weatherboard, rendered, brick and period homes in suburbs such as Marrickville, Newtown, Leichhardt, Balmain, Annandale and Summer Hill.

The sequence

1. Quote: a free in-person site visit, then a written itemised quote.
2. Colour and product selection: choose colours and a paint system suited to the surface.
3. Site protection: cover plants, paving, windows and fittings.
4. Surface preparation: wash, scrape, fill, sand and prime. This is where most of the time goes.
5. Paint application: two coats of premium exterior paint.
6. Final inspection: a walk-through before the job is signed off.

Primers and paint systems

Different surfaces need different primers. Painters in the area list products such as Dulux WeatherMax for exterior walls, and primers such as Dulux Weathershield Primer, Zinsser Gardz and Zinsser BIN shellac primer for particular problems. The right choice depends on the surface and its condition.

Heritage areas

Before you change colours on an Inner West home in a heritage conservation area, check the rules. See heritage home painting in the Inner West.

Choosing a painter

Ask what preparation is included, which primer and paint are used, how many coats, and what warranty applies. Inner West house painters typically give a written itemised quote after a free site visit.

Common questions