Expert insights on interior and exterior painting, colour selection, and home maintenance from Wellington's trusted painters.
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Lead paint cannot be identified by looking. Treat any house built in the 1980s or earlier as suspect, test a sample through every layer with a kit or a lab, and change your method if it is positive.
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Usually yes, if the tiles can still be walked on, leaks trace to broken tiles or loose ridges, and the structure is sound. Crumbling tiles or widespread breakage point to replacement instead.
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The stain is water-soluble residue, so waterborne ceiling paint re-dissolves it and carries it back to the surface. Fix the leak, let the lining dry, then seal it with a stain-blocking primer first.
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When the factory finish has faded and started chalking, before white rust appears, not at a set age. Coastal roofs and rain-sheltered areas under eaves, flues and solar panels reach that point first.
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Usually yes. The grey is a thin layer of degraded surface fibre over sound timber, and a deck wash, scrub and recoat bring it back. Only rotten, split, cupped or twisted boards need replacing.
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Resene's half, quarter and double strengths are lighter and deeper versions of the same colour, made as separate formulas. The name gives the direction, not an exact measure, so a half is not always half as dark.
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Yes on walls and splashbacks that only get splashed, with thorough cleaning, an adhesion primer and a bathroom-grade topcoat. Inside a shower or on a wet floor, painted tiles are only a short-term fix.
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Usually not. A house must be washed before painting, but high-pressure waterblasting can gouge timber and force water behind weatherboards. A house wash scrubbed on and rinsed at low pressure cleans better.
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A new deck stain goes blotchy when the timber absorbs it unevenly: dense or glazed boards, leftover old coating, unstirred stain, pooling and lap marks. Some fixes need a second coat, some a full re-sand.
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Clear finishes let UV through to the cedar, which breaks down the timber surface under the coating until the film cracks and peels. Pigmented stains or paint protect cedar because pigment blocks the sun.
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Nail pops happen when timber framing shrinks and pulls the plasterboard back while the nail head stays put. The lasting fix is a new screw beside the pop, then re-stopping and repainting, not filling.
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Crocodile-pattern cracking means the paint film has become too hard and brittle to move with the surface below. It cannot be painted over; the cracked layers must be stripped back and a new system built up.
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Yes, if the old oil-based paint is sound, washed free of chalk and mould, sanded to de-gloss, and topped with a primer or topcoat made to bond to old enamel. Cracked oil paint must come off.
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Rain on a freshly stained deck usually leaves cosmetic white spots or spotting, not ruin. Let it dry, judge it days later, clean and recoat only the marked boards, and read the tin's drying conditions.
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Pine is an open timber that absorbs stain readily; dense hardwoods like kwila take little in and leave excess on the surface. That changes the colour you see, the drying time and how the finish wears.
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New paint peels off old paint when it never bonded: the old surface was glossy, chalky, dirty or greasy, or the old coats were already failing. A simple tape test finds the problem first.
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Level 4 finishes the joints and fixings; Level 5 adds a coat of compound over the whole surface. Level 5 is for gloss or dark paint and walls lit by light at a shallow angle.
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A decramastic roof can be painted if the steel under the stone chip is still sound and the roof is watertight. Rust holes, leaks, loose or cracked tiles mean repair or replacement first.
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Plan on roughly 11 square metres per litre per coat on a sound, previously painted wall, but your tin gives the exact figure. Porous, rough or dark surfaces and colour changes cut real coverage.
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All three work on macrocarpa heartwood above ground. Oil keeps the natural colour but needs yearly recoats, stain protects better for longer, and grey costs nothing but is weathered, uneven and hard to reverse.
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Sills peel first because they catch more UV at their angle to the sun, hold standing water, and have sharp edges and end grain where paint is thinnest. Strip, condition, round the edges and repaint.
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Kill it first. Paint over moss or lichen bonds to the growth, not the roof, and comes off when it dies. Treat, wait for lichen to release, wash and scrape, then prime and paint.
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In our experience paint goes over a weathered penetrating stain once the boards are cleaned and primed. A peeling surface-forming stain has to be stripped first, and cedar needs a solventborne primer.
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New treated pine does not need weeks of weathering like kwila. Clean it and coat it once it is genuinely dry; after rain allow several days, and use a water drop test to check.
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Put a penetrating decking oil or a hardwood stain on kwila once it has weathered a few weeks and been washed. It bleeds red because water-soluble tannin leaches out for months and stains concrete.
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A second storey roughly doubles the wall area on the same footprint, adds $1,500 to $4,000 or more of scaffolding at 2026 prices, and slows the rate of work. It does not double the total.
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A workmanship guarantee covers paint that failed because of how it was applied: peeling, flaking, cracking or blistering from poor preparation or wrong conditions. Fade, chalking, leaks and building movement are not covered.
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Sealant belongs at joinery junctions, scribers and penetrations. It does not belong in the horizontal laps between weatherboards or along a bottom edge, because those gaps are how water that gets in drains back out.
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Soffits are the lined underside of the roof overhang, normally painted as part of a full exterior repaint. They cost more per square metre than walls because the work is overhead and needs a platform.
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Fascia boards are painted with the house because they share the access you are already paying for and they weather faster than the walls. Most factory-coated steel gutters should be washed, not painted.
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The north side takes the most direct sun all year, so ultraviolet breaks its paint down first. Pale oxide-based colours hold, strong reds and yellows do not, and repainting one elevation is often enough.
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Dark colours run much hotter in the sun, and that heat drives resin bleed, board movement and early coating failure. Most timber weatherboard systems require a light reflectance value of 45 or higher for exactly that reason.
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Wallpaper paste stays water-soluble for years, so waterborne paint rolled onto it softens the glue underneath. Wash the residue off, rinse, let the wall dry, seal it, and only then paint.
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Photograph the cracks and lodge the claim before you fill anything. Then triage: sagging or drummy areas get refixed, cornice junctions get flexible sealant rather than hard filler, and only fine cracks in the sheet get taped and stopped.
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If the lining behind the mess is sound and firmly fixed, skim the whole surface. If it is drummy, water-damaged, out of plane or still moving, replacing the lining costs less than skimming it twice.
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Plasterboard stopping compound only has to dry, roughly a day per coat, so a stopped room is usually paintable within the week. Cement-based solid plaster and render genuinely cure, and that needs about 28 days.
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An insurance repaint covers returning the damaged surfaces to their pre-loss condition, usually painted corner to corner. Colour changes, undamaged rooms and finish upgrades count as betterment, and you pay for those yourself.
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Whether a rental repaint is deductible is a question for your accountant. What a painter can settle is the record: what condition the surfaces were in, what the work restored, and an invoice itemised clearly enough to be split.
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The healthy homes standards say nothing about paint. All five cover heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and draughts, so no rental fails an assessment over scuffed walls. They do decide whether ceilings stay clean.
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Between tenancies is the cheapest time to repaint, so the question worth answering is whether the paint is failing or only dirty. What a wash fixes, what needs filling, and when a full repaint earns its money.
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A corrugated iron fence lasts if the primer matches the metal you actually have, and if the back, the bottom edge and every cut edge get coated too. Almost every early failure comes down to one of those two things.
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Painting brick is close to a one-way decision. Removing paint from masonry costs several times what applying it cost, and the methods that work take the fired face off the brick, which does not come back.
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For the flat boards you walk on, use a penetrating stain or oil rather than paint. Paint holds colour longer but fails as a peeling film, and stripping a failed film off decking is the job that costs you.
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Yes, if it is degreased, abraded and primed with an adhesion primer for non-ferrous metal. It will not last as long as the baked factory finish it replaces, and it will usually end whatever is left of the powder-coat warranty.
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Single-pack floor paint lifts off under a warm tyre. A garage floor that lasts needs a two-pack epoxy or polyurethane, and the outcome is decided by the moisture test and the grinding, not the tin.
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Concrete block paints well once it is cured, clean and dry, and the coating has to let vapour out. Most block wall failures are moisture pushing from behind a film that is too tight, not bad paint.
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Paint peels off galvanised steel because zinc is slick, often still oily from the factory, and reacts with oil-based paint to form a soap layer. Degrease it, abrade it and prime it with a galv primer.
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Waterborne enamel now matches oil for hardness and beats it on colour, because it does not yellow. The trade-off is a shorter open time on the brush and a slower cure before doors can safely close.
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A colour match works if the new paint stops at a corner or another natural break. A patch in the middle of a wall shows up regardless, because what gives it away is sheen and film thickness, not colour.
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An unopened tin of waterborne paint stored cool and dry usually stays good for years. Once opened and part-used it ages far faster. The reliable test is not a date at all: it is the smell, and whether it stirs back to a smooth, even liquid.
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Flat on ceilings, low sheen on most walls, semi-gloss on doors, trim and anything you wipe. The rule underneath it: more sheen means more washable and more durable, and also more of every surface flaw on show.
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Wall paint fails early on a roof because it is not built for standing water, thermal cycling or foot traffic. Roof paint on a wall survives, but costs more, comes in a narrow colour range and gains nothing.
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The real difference is in the first few days: less smell, and a room you can sleep in sooner. Over the life of the paint, a cured standard waterborne wall coating and a low-VOC one are close to indistinguishable.
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Repainting a surface that is already painted is treated as maintenance and repair under the Wellington District Plan, so it needs no resource consent. Rules bite when the building is scheduled and you want to paint something never painted before.
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Once a year is the minimum, twice a year within a few hundred metres of open sea or the harbour edge. Salt settles on the surfaces rain never reaches, and those are the ones that fail first.
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Exterior work happens between November and April. Book it between July and September, because established Wellington crews fill their summer programme by October. Winter is the right season for interior work.
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Waterborne paint dries by giving water up to the air, so when the air is already close to saturated the film stops drying. That is why winter exterior work in Wellington runs on a few hours in the middle of the day.
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The south and south-east walls stay damp and grow lichen, and the west takes ultraviolet and wind-driven rain together. Those two elevations need far more preparation than the sheltered sides of the house.
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A steep section changes access, not painting. The walls are the same, but building a safe platform in front of them on a slope takes more scaffold and more labour. That is where the extra money goes.
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Wellington rain is driven sideways into joints, laps and cut ends rather than running down the wall. That is why paint here fails at board ends and window reveals while the middle of the same board stays sound.
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Salt does not eat the paint film. It settles on the surface, holds moisture against it and corrodes every fixing in the wall, so a coastal house fails first at nail heads, cut ends and gutters rather than mid-board.
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Painters move furniture within the room, stack it clear of the walls and cover it. They do not pack up your belongings, empty shelves, handle valuables or disconnect appliances. Everything small, fragile or personal is yours to clear first.
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Two coats means two full coats of the named finish paint, applied at the manufacturer's spread rate, over a prepared and primed surface. Primer, sealer and undercoat are separate coats and should be listed separately.
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Furniture can come back into the room after 24 hours, but keep anything that presses on the wall a couple of centimetres clear of it for four weeks. The risk is not wet paint, it is blocking.
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Drying is water leaving the paint. Curing is the film hardening to its final toughness afterwards, and Resene puts that at four weeks. Almost every complaint about new paint comes from treating the first as the second.
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Four weeks. That is the wait Resene gives before you bump or clean a new paint finish, and washing it sooner polishes shiny patches into the wall. Until then, blot spills dry and leave marks for a touch-up.
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Rain stops work and, on a fixed-price quote, does not change the price. What matters is how long the last coat had before the rain arrived: under an hour usually means recoating, over a day is a non-event.
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A quote should name the products and coats per surface, describe the preparation in specific terms, list exclusions, state access and scaffolding, and set payment terms and a guarantee. One line and one number is not a quote.
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A single-storey Wellington weatherboard house is usually five to ten working days; a two-storey with heavy preparation runs up to about three weeks. Preparation and weather set the length, not the painting, which is the fastest part.
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Usually yes, but only a little. Coverage is what costs money: dark to light, or light to a deep saturated colour, needs an extra coat. Same colour and sheen over sound paint is the cheapest repaint there is.
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Spray large repetitive surfaces such as ceilings, roofs, fences and joinery. Roll broad flat walls. Brush cut-ins, weatherboard edges and anything where paint must be worked into a joint. Most jobs use all three.
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Ladders suit low, short work on flat firm ground. Scaffolding takes over once there is a real fall below, the section slopes, or the work at height runs for days. It adds $1,500 to $4,000 or more.
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Prime when the surface is bare, stained, chalky, glossy or a different material from the topcoat. Over sound existing paint of the same type, a primer is usually money you do not need to spend.
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Painting over gloss without sanding works only if a bonding primer or liquid deglosser does the same job. Degrease first whichever route you take, because primer over hand oils and cooking grease fails regardless.
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Sound paint that is only dirty or faded needs washing and two coats, nothing more. Flaking or heavily chalking paint needs taking back. Three simple tests tell you which, and the answer differs by elevation.
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Eight degrees is under the 10 degree minimum Resene gives for waterborne paint. Wintergrade products are made for colder application. A falling afternoon and still damp air often matter more than the forecast.
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Brown streaks on painted cedar are water-soluble tannins carried out through the paint film. Sealing bare cedar with a solvent-borne primer stops them, and a waterborne undercoat will not, no matter how many coats you add.
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Rust stains at nail heads mean the nails are corroding beneath the paint and bleeding through. Each head needs punching, cleaning back to bare metal, priming and sealing, or the marks return within a season.
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Bubbling bathroom ceiling paint means moisture is trapped behind the film, usually shower steam with nowhere to escape. Fix the ventilation or the leak first, because repainting over it will bubble again.
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Fine cracks following a plasterboard joint or running from a door corner are ordinary movement and a filling job. Wider, diagonal, stepped or repeatedly returning cracks need investigating first.
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Push a screwdriver into the bare timber. Soft and stringy means the board has decayed and must be repaired or replaced. Hard, grey and dry means the coating failed and the wood is still sound.
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Mildew is just early surface mould, and both must be killed and washed off before painting rather than covered. The real question is whether it is surface growth or a wall that keeps getting wet.
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A steel roof is past painting once rust has perforated the sheet or the metal gives under a screwdriver. Surface rust, even when widespread, is almost always still a preparation and coating job.
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The white powder on your hand is the paint binder breaking down under sunlight and letting the pigment go. It is normal weathering, not a fault, but it must be washed off before any recoat.
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Blistering means water is trapped behind the film, peeling in sheets means the paint never bonded, and brittle flaking means an old coating has gone hard. Each needs a different repair before you repaint.
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Table of Contents Toggle I. Introduction A. Importance of roof painting in Wellington, NZ Your roof is a vital component of your home, providing essential protection for you and your loved ones agains
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Wellington earns its Windy Wellington nickname honestly. Professional tips for dealing with wind, rain, and humidity when painting your home.
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Can you paint your house in Wellington winter? Yes for interior, with caution for exterior. Essential tips for cold-weather painting projects.
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Not every painting project needs full paint stripping. Learn when stripping is essential versus when painting over existing coats is the smarter choice.
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If your Wellington home was built before 1980, it likely contains lead paint. Learn safe removal methods, legal requirements, and why professional help is essential.
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Wellington winters are harsh on exterior paintwork. Discover why painting before winter protects your home and saves money on repairs.
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Timing makes all the difference when painting your Wellington home. Learn the best seasons and conditions for exterior and interior painting projects.
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The complete guide to paint stripping in Wellington. Learn when you need it, which method to choose, and what to expect from professional paint removal.
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DIY paint stripping saves money but involves serious safety risks. Learn essential safety precautions for chemical, heat, and mechanical paint removal.
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Paint stripping costs in Wellington vary by method, surface type, and area size. Get a detailed cost breakdown for chemical, heat, and mechanical stripping.
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Wellington summers deliver the most reliable painting conditions. Make the most of warmer temperatures and longer days for your painting project.
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Wellington throws two major weather challenges at exterior painting: persistent rain and relentless wind. Solutions from experienced local painters.
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The right paint stripping method depends on your substrate, paint type, and condition. Compare chemical, heat, and mechanical stripping for Wellington homes.
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Transforming homes and businesses with beautiful, long-lasting paint finishes is a passion for our Wellington-based painting company . We understand that a fresh coat of paint can breathe new life int
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