Frequently Asked Questions

There are many reasons why you may want to repaint your property.

The top 3 reasons:

• The need to enhance curb appeal/look of your home.
• Maintain your home, prolong the lifespan of your home’s paintwork & surfaces.
• To increase value.

There are also many contributing factors that come into play to answer this question. Including your reason for painting, you may like to follow trends and update the look of your home annually for example.

The short answer is; on average you should try and repaint your home at least every 5-10 years.

For exteriors, weather conditions greatly influence the lifespan of your paintwork.

High humidity like we have in North Queensland can cause the paint to peel and can lead to cracking/chipping. Add exposure to salty air and lots of direct sunlight into the mix, and you will likely find your building needs more frequent repainting due to increased fading and corrosion.

While your building’s interior doesn’t have to endure the same harsh conditions as the exterior, that doesn’t mean it needs fewer repainting sessions. Given that you spend most of your home time inside, you will probably have to repaint it more often. Repainting interiors is usually recommended for every 5 to 7 years.

These timelines are simply recommendations, and can vary depending on area usage, surfaces, and personal preference. For instance, high-traffic areas or children’s rooms always require more frequent retouches.

One of the best and most accurate ways to determine if you need to repaint is by getting a professional painter to take a look. With their eye for detail and experience, they can assess the condition of your property with accuracy and provide necessary advice.

A professional can help identify signs of wear and tear that may be invisible to the untrained eye. They can also suggest the best type of product and solutions for your specific surface needs. By leveraging their knowledge and expertise, you can maintain your home’s appearance and durability while saving money in the long run by avoiding premature repainting or incorrect products.

At Coastal Brush, we pride ourselves in offering the fairest and most cost-effective way of pricing for our clients. Rather than a set, one size fits all meter squared rate, our process is to itemise each surface and price according to each variable.

Some of these variables include:

1. size and number of walls
2. size and number of doors
3. size, number and type of architraves
4. height and size of ceilings, and is the ceiling raked or flat
5. will we need additional equipment eg. scaffolding or a cherry picker
6. new build or previously painted
7. types of finishes and surfaces
8. size and number staircases
9. condition of existing paintwork
10. interior or exterior

Here is a simple example of how this is applied:

There are 2 houses, both have a floor plan size of 420m2.

House A – 420m2 floor plan, open living throughout all areas within minimal interior doors, large folding doors to balcony with tiles, flat ceilings 2.3m height, exterior is fully rendered with stone feature post at entry.

House B – 420m2 floor plan, open living room only, theatre room, sliding doors to ensuite and walk in robes, double width front door in timber finish, raked ceilings with exposed rafters, vj feature wall in main bedroom, vj timber eaves and patio ceiling, weatherboard exterior with timber posts at entry and patio, timber decking with rails.

House A is quite simple with far less surface areas to have coated and in the same finishes throughout. House B on the other hand has far larger surfaces, varied finishes, lots of timber which is more labour intensive, more doors, walls and architraves to coat.

Even though both houses are the same floor size, you can easily see there is a big difference in the requirements of each. It would be unfair on client A to be charged the same m2 rate as client B. House B would also be unprofitable for the business at the same rate unless shortcuts were taken, resulting in a low-quality completion for client B.

This itemised approach allows Coastal Brush to offer high quality products and finishes to all clients and makes it simple to work to a budget if needed. Knowing that you can save money by not putting that unnecessary door in here, or changing full weatherboards to only a feature there makes adjustments a breeze.

While we can’t say exactly what the cost is without knowing what the project requires, we can advise of the payment terms. Generally, payment terms are 30% upon commencement, and 70% upon completion for private clients.

The best way to know the cost is to book the team in for a 1:1 consultation. This will allow an open discussion of must haves, budget and more, no strings attached.

As a Dulux accredited company our preference is Dulux.

We use only the best on your property, this is typically Dulux EnvirO₂ for interior and Dulux AcraTex/Weathershield for exterior.

For interiors we use interior grade paints as they have low levels of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and are specifically formulated to tolerate normal household wear and tear.

Dulux EnvirO₂ is a premium acrylic paint that delivers superior performance. Dulux EnvirO₂ is also the only major paint brand with a Global GreenTag certification – making it premium quality and the environmentally responsible option.

Global GreenTag™ is one of the most trusted and globally recognised eco-certification programs, and detailed in an Australasia Environmental Product Declaration. Coastal Brush are always looking for new ways to go greener and are proud to be able to offer such an incredible product not only for our clients, but also for the health of our team.

Exterior grade paints are developed to endure various weather conditions. Temperature variations, UV, rain, moisture, salty air and wind are just some examples of how environmental factors can depreciate external finishes over time.

Though nothing can overpower the eroding power of nature, Dulux and other manufacturers have developed some great products that can withstand harsh weather conditions for years.

Some other labels you may see on one of our jobs are:

• Intergrain
• Weathershield
• UltraAir
• Metalshield
• Dulux Venetian Plaster (by Acratex)
• Creativo Microcement
• All Purpose Coatings Epoxy (APC)

These products are considered to be from top brands in Australia. While higher quality products are more expensive upfront, it pays off in the long run. High-quality paint and coatings last longer, allowing you to avoid unnecessary repaints.

As a rough guide, on average it takes around 3 to 5 days to repaint an interior and up to 10 days to paint the exterior.

It depends on the size and current condition of your project. Obviously the larger the project is, the longer it will take to complete. The number of walls, number and type of windows, number of frames and doors, height of ceilings, existing condition of surfaces, access and our availability will affect the amount of time it will take to complete the job.

There are several key factors to keep in mind when choosing paint colours, such as:

• The intended use of the room – Colours that may be ideal for a common space like your kitchen may not work well in a personal space like your bedroom.
• The amount of light coming into the room – some colours may make it too bright, others not, but most importantly colours look different in certain lighting. What you think it looks like vs what it will look like could be very different due to lighting
• The size of the room – The colours that you use can either make a room seem bigger or smaller as will colour placement.
• Climatic conditions in your area of residence may play a part in your colour choices.

In addition to these key points, here are our top tips for colour and design: 

1. Seek inspiration far and wide. The ocean, your favourite café, your nanas garden, your favourite holiday destination. There is inspiration everywhere, you might be surprised where you find it.
2. Choose your must have item for each space and form your choices around this. It might be a lighting feature for example.
3. Select paint/finishes last. Make floor, tile and cabinetry choices first.
4. Select colours you actually like. You will have to live with them.

Reinforce selections by doing test patches if possible, to see in different light.

No. Unfortunately in our experience this can lead to delays and poor-quality work.

We guarantee that our team of employees carry out all work to ensure quality control in all aspects.   

Short answer, yes. We understand that sometimes there are time constraints, and a quick turnaround is important for our clients’ projects.

We can offer after-hours commercial and residential painting services to complete any painting job with minimal interruption to your day-to-day operation. There are additional labour costs for these services, though worthwhile where other operational expenses are at play.

We are all working with a common goal, to paint. And most of us are pretty good at it. However, that does not mean we are all the same.

Each painter offers a unique set of skills, based on their training, experiences and preferences. It’s the standards, and exclusive offerings we have at Coastal Brush that make us different to the next painting company.

Such as:

• Our services offered in a highly professional and modern way
• Our products untampered with and of high quality
• Our personal customer service and clear communication
• How we treat our team, our culture
• Our approach to pricing with our clients in mind
• Our non-negotiable standards and image
• Our commitment to continued growth, modern technologies and training
• The focus and passion we have for the niche of clients we take care of.
• Our compassionate and giving approach to our small Whitsunday community.
• Our trustworthy and respectful reputation
• Our Why.

All of these things are what make us unique, and what attracts our ideal client.

While our schedule is generally booked 6 in advance, and we do everything in our power to stick to our schedule it’s rare that every build/renovation goes to plan. We can usually accommodate additional clients within 1-2 weeks should our schedule allow.

Always worth reaching out to see how we can best assist.

Australian homeowners are often more likely to run into problems when it comes to maintaining paint. With less than perfect conditions, such as humidity and other weather conditions, it’s not uncommon to find peeling paint around your property.

Splitting of a dry paint film will eventually lead to complete failure of the paint if left untreated. One of our top tips is to look out for early signs. In its early stages, the problem appears as hairline cracks and in its later stages, the flaking and/or peeling occurs.

Possible causes:

• Seepage of moisture (humidity) through uncaulked joints, worn our caulk or leaks in the roof or walls
• Excess moisture escaping through exterior walls (this is more likely if paint used is solvent-based)
• Inadequate surface preparation, e.g. Not applying a sealer or primer on porous surfaces prior to top coating
• Use of inferior quality paint that have inadequate adhesion and flexibility
• Applying a solvent-based paint over a wet surface
• Over thinning or overspreading the paint
• Extreme hardening and embrittlement of alkyd paint as the paint job ages
• Dirt left on the surfaces for extended periods

Basics on how to fix it:

• Remove all loose and flaking paint with a scraper or wire brush
• Sand the surfaces
• Use of filler may be necessary here
• Prime bare timber areas before applying paint
  • Use of a premium quality primer and topcoat should help prevent a recurrence of the problem (we recommend Dulux)
• Repaint all surfaces with 2 layers of topcoat (3 coat system in total)
• Follow with annual checks as it could be an indicator of a leak or inadequate ventilation

This is a broad question, and there are many factors to consider. However, our absolute favourite product is Universal Timber Oil. You can read more about our love for timber and this product here: Timber Preservation and Restoration by Coastal Brush