Living in Carine definitely has its perk as you’re close to the beach and the suburb’s got character. You’re also surrounded by a great community. But there’s one thing that comes with coastal living that homeowners quickly learn about, paint jobs don’t last as long.
We’ve been painting houses around Carine for the better part of 12 years now and we can tell you that this suburb throws some specific challenges at your exterior paint that you just don’t get in other parts of Perth.
The salty air and the wind patterns can make for some pretty harsh conditions to your paint job, and your paint will definitely let you know about it.
So if you’re thinking about getting your Carine home painted or you’re wondering why your last paint job didn’t last as long as you hoped it would, this is what we’ve learned from painting hundreds of homes in the area.
Why Carine’s different from other Perth suburbs
First thing you need to understand is that Carine’s microclimate is pretty specific. You’ve got salty air in the sky pretty much always but you’re also inland enough that you can get pretty harsh wind that smacks that salty air around.
The salt doesn’t just float around harmlessly either. It settles on your walls and gets to work straight away, breaking down paint and causing premature aging. We’ve seen paint jobs that looked great after two years in suburbs like Wanneroo start showing serious wear after the same time in Carine.
The morning dew here is also heavier than you get further inland. That extra moisture sits on your walls longer each day and if your paint isn’t up to handling constant wet-dry cycles, you’ll start seeing problems pretty quickly.
The mistakes we see homeowners make
Choosing paint based on price alone
This is probably the biggest mistake we see. Someone gets a quote for painting their house and they immediately start shopping around for cheaper paint to bring the cost down. Look we get it, paint’s expensive. But in Carine’s conditions cheap paint is actually more expensive in the long run because you’ll have to end up repainting in anyways.
We painted a house near Carine Primary about 4 years ago where the owner insisted on using a budget exterior paint to save money. We ended up going back way sooner than the client would’ve liked but he listened this time round and told me to get the proper stuff.
Not prepping surfaces properly
The other big one is surface preparation. Or lack of it. People see the cost of proper prep work and think they can skip some steps to save money. Bad idea.
In Carine, surface prep is even more critical because of the salt exposure. Any existing paint that’s even slightly compromised needs to come off completely. Half measures just don’t work. We’ve seen painters who try to paint over slightly chalky or flaky paint, and it always ends badly.
Salt damage is sneaky too. Sometimes the paint looks fine from a distance but up close you can see the beginnings of breakdown.
Ignoring the orientation of your house
Not all walls are created equal, especially in Carine. The walls that face the north and the west will get most of the heat and the UV damage.
The walls facing the south will cop more moisture issues and also lack of sun.
We always recommend different approaches for different sides of the house. Sometimes that means using different paint products and sometimes it’s about when to actually apply the paint.
What actually works in Carine
Paint selection that makes sense
For exterior work in Carine we pretty much always recommend high quality acrylic paints that are made specially for coastal conditions. Dulux WeatherShield is our go to but Haymes UltraPremium also performs well here.
The key thing is getting paint with good salt resistance and UV protection. These paints cost more upfront but they’re formulated to handle exactly the conditions your Carine home faces every day.
For colour selection lighter colours generally perform better than dark ones in coastal areas. This is because darker colours absorb the heat more which makes the paint crack way faster. Plus, you can see the salt more on darker colours.
Surface preparation that actually works
Proper prep in Carine means being thorough about removing any old paint. Scraping can be a fine technique but sometimes a high-pressure hose is necessary to get everything off.
Salt affected areas need special attention. Sometimes we’ll use a mild acid wash to remove salt buildup before painting. Sounds dramatic but it’s the only way to get a clean surface for the new paint to bond to.
Timber surfaces often need extra care too.
Timing your paint job
In Carine timing matters more than in other suburbs. You want to avoid painting just before the winter storms hit but you also don’t want to paint in the middle of summer when the UV is highest.
We’ve found the best time for exterior painting in Carine is late autumn or early spring. The UV is normally more not too high and the temperature tends to stay average, so you’re giving the paint the best chance to dry properly before facing harsh conditions of the hotter and colder months.
We understand coastal conditions
Not all painters really understand coastal painting. Some painters who work in inner suburbs more regularly might not have the specific expertise that you may need for your coastal home.
We know about salt resistance and understand the importance of proper surface prep in coastal areas.
Overall
The coastal lifestyle is great but it comes with specific challenges for home maintenance. Having your house painted in Carine isn’t just about it looking great. It’s about knowing what challenges come with painting in a coastal area and what solutions you must solve them. Understanding these and working with them is crucial for keeping your home looking its best year round, and we are here to help!
