30/06/2026
"The prep work is the paint job"
The biggest thing separating a quality result from a cheap one isn't the paint brand — it's what happens before the first coat.
90% of a paint job's lifespan is decided before any paint goes on.
Here's a few tips to consider before putting paint on a brush !
1. Bare timber needs to "breathe" before it's primed.
Freshly exposed timber holds moisture. Prime it too soon after sanding and you trap that moisture in — leading to bubbling and peeling within a year, even with premium paint.
2. Not all primers are equal
Old timber, especially on heritage homes, often needs an oil-based or stain-blocking primer to stop tannins bleeding through. Use a standard primer and the timber's natural stains can bleed through your topcoat months later.
3. "Feathering" matters more than you think.
When sanding back old paint, the edges need to be feathered — gradually thinned out — so the new coat doesn't show a visible ridge where old paint meets new. Skip this step and you'll see every previous paint job outlined on your wall.
4. Caulking isn't just cosmetic.
Sealing gaps around windows, trims, and joints isn't about looks — it stops water getting behind the paint film, which is one of the leading causes of early failure on exterior timber.
5. Mould need to be treated, not just cleaned.
Sugar soap removes dirt, but mould spores can survive underneath a fresh coat if they're not treated with a proper fungicidal wash first. A few months later, it's back — right through the new paint.
None of this is visible in the finished result. But it's the difference between a paint job that lasts 3 years and one that lasts 10.
If your last paint job didn't last as long as it should have, there's a good chance the issue started here — not with the paint itself.
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