Black Mountain Exterior Repaint and Timber Restoration

This Black Mountain home began as an exterior repaint, guided by a carefully considered colour scheme. It became a far more involved restoration project—bringing together premium exterior painting, timber repair, detailed spray finishing, anti-corrosive protection and custom restoration work.

The project came to Crafted Finishes through our colour expert **Eileen, from InStyle and Colour. **She selected **Refuge 3 **and Woodland Grey, two earthy tones that allow the home to sit naturally within its Black Mountain surrounds. Rather than competing with the landscape, the revised palette gave the home a quieter, more grounded presence. It complemented the surrounding bushland while creating enough contrast to define the render, hardwood details and architectural features.

For a discerning homeowner, this is where a quality exterior repaint differs from a quick refresh. The final result comes down to preparation, material knowledge, product selection and the willingness to address the details properly rather than simply paint over them.

The scope expanded well beyond rendered walls. The home included large hardwood gable features, weathered timber balustrades and decking, a feature pergola ceiling with stained beams and VJ lining, rust-affected metal fascia, deteriorated downpipe spouts and a much-loved timber slab outdoor table setting.

Each part of the home required a separate approach. The rendered surfaces needed a cohesive exterior paint system. The hardwood required restoration and protection. Rusted fixings and downpipe spouts needed replacement rather than concealment. The metal fascia required a proper anti-corrosive coating system for long-term protection. The pergola ceiling required near-perfect preparation and spray application due to the strong morning light across its satin surface. Approaching all of these substrates as one simple repaint would have compromised both appearance and longevity.

One of the first major challenges involved the large hardwood gable features. To repaint the rendered surfaces behind them in a contrasting colour, and to restore the timber properly on all exposed faces, the gables needed to be removed. Leaving them in place would have meant incomplete preparation, inaccessible timber edges and an inferior finish where the materials met. The largest gable was estimated at well over 150 kilograms. Using ratchet straps tied back to the roof structure as a controlled pulley system, our team carefully lowered the gables without damaging the home. This gave us the access needed to strip, prepare and refinish the timber correctly, while also allowing the render behind to be coated cleanly in its second colour. Reinstalling the gables was another task entirely. It required the full team, an afternoon of lifting, positioning and adjustment, as well as the replacement of one gable end.

The result was crisp colour separation, fully coated timber and details that look deliberate from every angle.

The existing pool balustrade had a pine handrail that had become curved, uneven and weathered over time.

Rather than removing the entire balustrade, we recommended strengthening and refining it with a hardwood cap. This created a straighter, stronger and more premium-looking handrail while retaining the original structure below. The supplied hardwood was inconsistent in thickness and quality, with splintering and natural variation from board to board. This is where craftsmanship becomes the determining factor. Each piece was selected, shaped and adjusted individually to create a clean, straight visual line over the uneven pine beneath.

The joins were sealed with black Sikaflex, screw holes were plugged, and the completed handrail was finished using

. The decking was also prepared and coated in Haymes Dexpress, giving the outdoor timber a consistent protective finish suited to the setting. The completed handrail became a feature rather than simply a repair.

The pergola roof was one of the home’s defining features: stained timber beams with VJ lining installed between them. The client wanted the VJ panels finished in satin. This required particular care because strong morning light moves directly across the ceiling. Satin coatings reflect more light than low-sheen finishes, making brush marks, roller texture, runs and poor surface preparation immediately visible. Spray application was the appropriate path to achieve the level of finish required. The VJ lining was machine sanded using Mirka dustless sanding equipment to remove old brush strokes, runs and heavy paint build-up. The rough-sawn timber beams were then carefully masked. Because rough timber can allow paint to bleed beneath tape lines, we sealed the tape edge with black caulking before spraying. This extra step ensured the line between the satin VJ panels and timber beams remained sharp and controlled. The VJ was spray finished in satin, then the timber beams were double-backed and finished in Feast Watson satin polyurethane.

The completed pergola has the refinement of an interior feature while retaining the warmth and character appropriate to a hinterland home.

Long-term exterior performance depends on more than the visible painted surfaces. During the project, rusted fixings—particularly around the downpipe spouts—were identified and replaced. Leaving compromised fixings in place can allow rust staining, moisture ingress and further deterioration to continue beneath an otherwise fresh paint finish. The fascia also required more than a cosmetic topcoat. We applied the

, providing a durable protective coating system for the metal substrate. This work is often invisible once complete, but it is exactly the kind of preparation and product selection that determines whether an exterior project continues to perform over time.

Beneath the pergola sat a timber slab outdoor table setting made by the Yandina Hut more than 20 years ago. It had aged heavily, but it carried history. The goal was not to make it look factory-new. It was to retain its authenticity while restoring it as a practical and beautiful centrepiece for the outdoor area. The table base was lightly sanded, cleaned and sprayed with Haymes Dexpress. The tabletop was machine sanded back to fresh timber, revealing the grain beneath years of wear and coating build-up. Cracks and voids were filled with liquid-glass epoxy tinted with black metallic dye. This stabilised the timber while turning its natural imperfections into a deliberate design feature. For the final finish, we used

, buffed to a satin sheen. This created a rich, tactile hardwax-oil finish that enhances the timber while allowing it to feel like timber—not a heavily coated surface. It also gives the homeowner a finish that can be maintained and repaired over time.

During the work, a sentimental eastern fortune coin belonging to the client was accidentally broken. It had been a gift from his late sister and could not simply be replaced. We took responsibility for the damage and carefully repaired the five pieces using epoxy, gold detailing and clear protective coats. We later learned that the five pieces held a deeper connection to the five virtues of wealth in eastern philosophy. It was a small item, but an important one. Returning it restored was a reminder that craftsmanship is not just about paint, timber and finishes. It is also about ownership, care and respect for the people who trust us in their homes.

The execution of this project required the full capability of Crafted Finishes’ five-person core team, alongside the skill and support of trusted members of our extended trade network.

Special thanks to

**Keaven Souliers from **KSP Painting, **Aaron Lalic from **Fine & Fast Finishes, and Anthony from Hire A Hubby

for assisting with the gable replacement and reinstatement. Projects like this are rarely delivered by one person. They rely on people who can problem-solve, step into difficult moments and hold the standard when the work becomes more complex than first expected.

Our MVP for this project is Crafted Finishes core team member **Dane Harvison. **

Dane played a major role in restoring and straightening the hardwood handrail, replacing rotten front decking boards, and refining the final paint finish with his exceptional eye for detail. His patience with imperfect materials, ability to see small inconsistencies and commitment to getting the finish right were central to the outcome of this project.

Should this project be recognised at the 2026 Master Painters Awards, Dane will have the honour of accepting the award on stage on behalf of the entire team.

The completed home now feels genuinely connected to its setting. Refuge 3 and Woodland Grey give the render a natural, grounded palette. The hardwood gables create depth and contrast. The pool handrail is stronger and more refined. The pergola ceiling has become a standout architectural feature, while the restored timber table carries its age and story with pride.

This project is one of Crafted Finishes’ entries into the **2026 Master Painters Awards. **It represents the type of work we value most: careful preparation, technical coating knowledge, detailed timber restoration, thoughtful colour selection and a final result that feels exceptional because every part of the project has been treated with care. Premium exterior painters for Sunshine Coast and hinterland homes

Crafted Finishes provides premium exterior painting, timber restoration, specialty finishes and high-detail home transformations across the Sunshine Coast, Black Mountain and surrounding hinterland areas.

For homeowners looking beyond a basic repaint, we focus on the preparation, material selection and finishing detail that protect the home and elevate the way it feels to live in.