Painting

Practical advice for interior, exterior, roof, timber, and specialist coatings—from preparation to the final coat.

WallsRoofsTimberColourPreparation

Learn it properly

Painting guides

3 published

Start with the symptom or job you can see:diagnose bubbling or blistering wall paint · repair peeling exterior paint properly · paint an interior room step by step

01P

Painting · 1 weekend

How to paint a room like a professional

The finish is won during preparation: clean, repair, sand, prime where needed, cut in neatly, and keep a wet edge.

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02P

Painting · 1–3 days

How to fix peeling exterior paint

Find the moisture or adhesion problem, remove every loose edge, prepare the surface, prime correctly, and repaint in suitable weather.

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03P

Painting · 30–60 min diagnosis

Why is paint bubbling or blistering on my wall?

Work out whether moisture, heat, contamination or weak preparation is lifting the coating before you scrape and repaint.

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A sound starting point

What to check first

A durable paint job is mostly diagnosis and preparation. Identify moisture, movement, contamination and coating compatibility before sanding or opening a tin.

Test the surface

Check for chalk, grease, damp, loose layers and glossy areas. Paint bonds to the layer beneath it, not to your hopes for the finish.

Fix moisture first

Leaks, condensation and rising or penetrating damp will keep defeating new coatings until the water problem is solved.

Respect recoat times

Temperature, humidity and film thickness affect curing. Follow the product data sheet, not only the clock.

South Africa · Australia · New Zealand

Regional context

Coastal salt, strong ultraviolet exposure, summer storms, winter rain and large surface-temperature swings affect coating choice and work windows across the three countries. Follow the local product data sheet and assess the wall itself; air temperature alone does not describe a sun-heated or dew-cooled surface.

Plan the work

A better project brief

Write a surface schedule

List masonry, plaster, timber, metal, trim and repaired areas separately with cleaning, preparation, primer, topcoat and sheen for each.

Create a sample area

Test adhesion, colour, coverage and finish on a prepared section. A small trial can expose contamination or incompatibility before the whole building is coated.

Plan safe access and weather

Sequence shaded elevations, drying time, scaffolding or platforms, wind and overnight dew. Avoid improvising access to finish one difficult edge.

Common questions

Painting quick answers

Why does new paint peel?+

Common causes include painting over loose or chalky layers, moisture, poor cleaning, incompatible coatings and insufficient drying.

Do I always need primer?+

Primer is normally needed on bare, porous, stained, repaired or difficult surfaces. Sound compatible paint may only need cleaning and keying.

How many coats of paint are needed?+

Use the specified system and spreading rate. Colour change, porosity, repairs and exposure can change coverage; one heavy coat is not equivalent to correctly dried specified coats.

Can exterior paint be applied after rain?+

Only when the substrate has dried to the product’s limit and the forecast protects the full early cure. Damp can remain in porous walls or timber after the surface looks dry.

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