Painting Tips & Insights, Page 2
Straight advice from painters who have worked on Melbourne homes since 1987.
British Paints Review: Who Is It Actually For? (2026)
British Paints is DuluxGroup's budget DIY line from Bunnings: fine for rentals and sheds, not the walls you touch every day. An honest painter's verdict.
Education · 2 July 2026 · 8 min read
How to get paint off tiles, concrete, brick & metal (2026)
The right paint removal method for brick, concrete, tiles and metal: chemical stripper, scraping or grinding, and what damages each surface.
Education · 2 July 2026 · 8 min read
Monument Colour Guide: What Goes With Colorbond Monument (2026)
Monument is Colorbond's deep matt charcoal grey. Here's what colours pair with it, how to paint walls to match, and where it works on Melbourne homes.
Guides · 2 July 2026 · 8 min read
Paint and Primer Guide: What Primer Is and When You Need It (2026)
What primer paint is, the difference between primer and paint, real prices for Dulux, Zinsser and Haymes primers, and the five times you actually need it.
Education · 2 July 2026 · 9 min read
Taubmans Paint Review: Is It Any Good vs Dulux? (2026)
Taubmans is a solid mid-range paint from Bunnings and fine for most repaints. We'd still pick Dulux for high-wear rooms and trim. An honest painter's verdict.
Education · 2 July 2026 · 9 min read
Wattyl Paint Review: Is It Any Good? (A Melbourne Painter's Take)
Wattyl is a legitimate Australian trade brand and Solagard its strong exterior acrylic. When it's worth using and how it stacks up against Dulux.
Education · 2 July 2026 · 8 min read
Woodland Grey Colour Guide: What It Is and What Goes With It (2026)
Woodland Grey is a deep grey with a green undertone. What the colour actually looks like, how it compares to Monument, and what to pair it with.
Guides · 2 July 2026 · 8 min read
How to Use the Dulux Colour Chart Properly (2026)
How to actually use a Dulux colour chart, why chip colours mislead, testing on the wall, and how a Melbourne painter reads a colour chart for a real job.
Guides · 1 July 2026 · 8 min read
How to Match an Existing Paint Colour in Melbourne (2026)
Lost the paint code for a wall you need to touch up or match? How Melbourne painters match an existing paint colour without the original tin or swatch.
Guides · 1 July 2026 · 7 min read
Sage Green Paint for Melbourne Homes: Where It Works (2026)
Sage green paint is one of 2026's most requested Melbourne colours. Where it works best, which Dulux shades to use, and what to pair it with.
Guides · 1 July 2026 · 9 min read
Can you paint bathroom and kitchen tiles in Melbourne? (2026)
Yes, you can paint bathroom and kitchen tiles in Melbourne. What products work, how long it lasts, the prep that matters, where it fails, and rough cost.
Guides · 19 June 2026 · 7 min read
Best residential painters in Melbourne compared: the five checks that matter (2026)
Comparing residential painters in Melbourne? The four checks that separate a professional from a headache: prep, products, insurance, track record.
Guides · 26 March 2026 · 10 min read
Common questions
How long does paint take to dry between coats?
Quality acrylic paints like Dulux Wash&Wear are touch dry in around 30 minutes and ready to recoat in about two hours in normal conditions. Cold or humid Melbourne weather stretches that out, which is one reason exterior work is scheduled around the forecast.
Should I paint my house myself or hire a professional?
A single room with sound walls is a reasonable DIY job. Full interiors, ceilings, exteriors and anything with peeling or damaged paint are usually false economy, because the prep work and access equipment are where DIY jobs fail. Our guides on this blog cover both paths honestly.
How often should you repaint a house in Melbourne?
Exteriors every seven to ten years, sooner for weatherboards in full sun. Interiors last ten years or more if the walls were prepped properly. Melbourne UV and rain do most of the damage outside, so south-facing walls usually outlast west-facing ones.
Why is the paint on my walls peeling?
Almost always moisture or poor preparation. Paint applied over dust, gloss or damp plaster loses adhesion and lifts. The fix is to strip back the flaking area, treat the moisture source, sand, prime and repaint. Painting over the top without prep just moves the problem a year down the road.