Wall Preparation for Painting in Bishopscourt and the Southern Suburbs
By Bishopscourt Painters - Expert advice from the professionals
Preparation is always the foundation of a lasting paint job — but in the wet, biologically active Southern Suburbs environment, preparation is even more critical than in drier suburbs. Every step skipped creates a weakness that the Southern Suburbs climate will find and exploit.
Biological Treatment Before Anything Else
In Bishopscourt, Constantia and Newlands, exterior walls are commonly colonised by algae, mould and lichen — particularly on shaded south and east-facing elevations. This biological growth must be treated and killed before any other preparation step. Apply a proprietary fungicidal wash, allow it to dwell for the recommended period, then rinse thoroughly. Pressure washing without prior fungicidal treatment simply distributes spores across the surface — the growth returns quickly. Allow adequate drying time after washing before assessing the surface condition and proceeding.
Cleaning and Surface Assessment
After the fungicidal treatment and wash, assess the surface condition carefully. In the Southern Suburbs wet climate, exterior surfaces tend to show more weathering damage than equivalent surfaces in drier suburbs — more chalking, more fine cracking, and more areas of adhesion loss. These all need addressing before topcoat is applied. Chalking paint that has lost its binder must be removed — either by washing with a stiff brush to remove all loose material, or by mechanical scraping and sanding.
Crack Repair and Priming
Fill all cracks with flexible acrylic exterior filler. On older Southern Suburbs properties, some cracking may be structural — recurring diagonal cracks from window corners should be assessed before simply being filled. Apply appropriate primer to all repaired and bare areas. On particularly damp-prone walls, a penetrating primer helps seal the substrate and resist moisture ingress. See our guide to damp in Southern Suburbs homes for more on treating moisture issues before painting.
Bishopscourt Painters never cuts corners on preparation. Every surface is properly treated, cleaned and primed before any topcoat is applied.