Heritage & Period-Home Repaints

What makes a period repaint different

A period or older home isn't just an ordinary repaint with fancier colours. The surfaces are often timber and render rather than modern brick veneer; there can be decades of paint build-up, some of it failing; detailing like fretwork, mouldings and feature timber needs careful cutting-in; and the whole point is usually to respect the home's character rather than modernise it away. Getting that right is a matter of preparation and judgement.

Lead-based paint: the key safety issue

If a home was built or last painted before about **1970**, assume older paint layers may contain lead until shown otherwise. Lead paint is common in period and post-war homes and is only a genuine risk when it's disturbed — dry sanding, scraping or heat-stripping without controls sends lead dust into the air and soil.

We handle those surfaces the safe way:

- Treating suspect layers as lead-based rather than gambling. - Avoiding dry sanding and unprotected heat-stripping. - Keeping dust down and containing debris during prep. - Cleaning up thoroughly, in line with **AS 4361.2** and WorkSafe and EPA guidance on lead-safe painting.

This protects your household, your soil and garden, and anyone working on the home. It's the single most important reason to be careful with an older repaint.

Heritage overlays and approvals

Some older Manningham properties sit under a heritage overlay, which can affect what you're permitted to do — sometimes including exterior colours or works. General domestic painting doesn't require a painter's licence in Victoria, and we don't claim one, but where an overlay or registered building work is involved there can be separate permit or approval requirements. We'll direct you to the **City of Manningham** to confirm the specifics for your address before any work begins.

Timber, render and sympathetic colour

We scrape, sand, treat and prime weathered weatherboard, fascias and detailing back to a sound base, repair render cracks, and finish with flexible, durable systems suited to older substrates. On colour, we can help you choose a scheme that suits the era and character of the home rather than fighting it.

What it costs

Period and older-home repaints vary widely with condition, the amount of lead-safe prep and repair, and access. A full period repaint commonly falls in the **$25,000 to $55,000 or more** range, while smaller single-storey work can sit nearer **$10,000 to $18,000**. Because condition drives so much of the cost on an older home, an on-site inspection is essential to set a real price.