Brisbane’s wet season can be hard on a fresh paint job. Summer storms roll in fast, gutters fill in minutes, and water that should be heading to the street ends up running down walls, soaking into render and pooling against the base of the house. If the drainage is not working, even the best exterior paint will start to fail early.
Before you book a painter or pick up a roller, it pays to look at where the water goes when it rains. A little drainage work at the start can protect the time and money you are about to spend on the walls.
How Water Damages Paint and Render
Paint is designed to shed rain, not to sit under a constant stream of it. When a gutter overflows in the same spot every storm, the wall below stays wet far longer than the rest of the house. Over time, that leads to blistering, peeling, chalky patches and dark streaks of mould or mildew.
Render suffers too. Water that gets into fine cracks can push salts to the surface, leaving white powdery marks, and repeated wetting and drying can cause the coating to lift away from the masonry. Timber weatherboards may swell and split along the bottom edges, while the paint at the base of the walls breaks down from splashback when water pools nearby.
Gutters and Downpipes Come First
In most Brisbane homes, the cause starts at the roofline. Leaves, seed pods, nests and grit build up in gutters, especially near trees. When a gutter is full, water spills over the front edge and straight down the wall. Downpipes can block at the top outlet or at the bend near the ground, and a split or loose joint can spray water across the cladding.
Cleaning gutters and checking that downpipes run freely is often the first job before any exterior painting. If you are doing it yourself, use a stable ladder, have someone with you, and stay well clear of overhead power lines. For two-storey homes or steep roofs, it is safer to have the work done by someone with the right equipment.
When the Stormwater Drain Is the Real Problem
Sometimes the gutters are clean, and water still backs up. If downpipes overflow at the bottom, water bubbles out of a pit in the yard, or puddles form against the house after every storm, the underground stormwater pipes may be blocked. This is when calling in blocked drain specialists in Brisbane makes sense, because the cause is often out of sight. All Kind Gas & Plumbing services stormwater drains along with other blocked drains across Brisbane and nearby areas such as Moreton Bay, Logan, Redlands and Ipswich. The team uses camera inspections to locate blockages and clears drains with high-pressure water jetting, and it also offers pipe relining.
Common causes of blocked stormwater lines include leaf litter, silt washed off driveways and garden beds, tree roots finding their way into joints, and pipes that have cracked or sagged over the years. Clearing the line and fixing any damage means water from the roof can leave the property the way it was designed to.
In Queensland, plumbing and drainage work must be done by a licensed plumber, so leave digging and pipe repairs to qualified trades.
A Pre-Painting Checklist for Wet Weather
Once you know the drainage is working, take a walk around the house during or just after heavy rain. It is the best way to see problems that are invisible on a dry day.
- Look for water spilling over gutters or spraying from downpipe joints
- Check that each downpipe empties freely into its drain or pit
- Notice where water pools near walls, paths and garden beds
- Mark damp, stained or blistered areas on the walls for your painter
Share what you find with your painter. They can then plan proper preparation, such as cleaning off mould, letting damp areas dry, repairing render and using suitable primers, instead of painting over a wall that is still getting wet.
Understanding the Pipes on Your Property
Many homeowners are not sure which pipes they are responsible for. Stormwater pipes carry rainwater from the roof and yard, while sewer pipes carry wastewater from toilets, showers and sinks. They are separate systems and should stay that way.
Urban Utilities provides water and sewerage services across Brisbane and several surrounding council areas, and its website has information for property owners about the pipes on their land and what to do if there is a problem. It is worth a look before any renovation that might affect drainage, including landscaping or new paths that change where water flows.
Timing Your Exterior Paint Job
Brisbane’s summer brings the most storms, so many homeowners prefer to paint exterior walls in the drier, milder months. If you do need to paint during the wet season, keep an eye on the forecast, avoid painting when rain is likely before the coating has dried, and give damp walls enough time to dry out first. Your painter will know the drying times for the products they use, and can advise whether a wall has dried out enough to take primer. Rushing this step is one of the most common reasons new exterior paint lets go early.
The order of work matters. Clean the gutters, check the downpipes, have any blocked stormwater drains cleared and repaired, and then let the walls dry before preparation begins. A well-drained house holds its paint far longer, and the finish will look good through many more storm seasons.
