Specialty · Heritage & high-end

Specialty Finishes

Limewash, Venetian plaster and timber restoration are craft work, not roller work. They live or die on substrate prep and application technique — so we price them as the specialist jobs they are, and show you references before you commit.

Get a free quote Call 02 6686 0000

Photo — specialty finishes job

Scope

What this job includes.

✓Limewash and mineral finishes
✓Venetian and polished plaster
✓Timber restoration, staining and clear finishes
✓Heritage colour matching and original-finish work
✓Feature walls and decorative effects

Our system: Product and technique matched to the substrate and the look. These finishes are sampled and signed off before the full application.

How we quote it

The same 7 lines — every time.

Whatever the surface, your quote splits the work the same honest way, so you can see exactly what you’re paying for.

The 7-line quote

1 Wash + clean. Sugar-soap removes oils and residue — without it, paint lifts.
2 Sanding + filling. Nail holes, cracks, surface roughness. Finish quality lives here.
3 Masking + drop sheets. Floors, fixtures, edges. Skip it and you pay in cleanup.
4 Primer (surface-specific). New plaster, old enamel and steel each need a different primer.
5 Number of coats. Two is standard. One means you’ll see the old colour through it.
6 Paint brand + product. Named on the quote — Dulux Wash & Wear, not “trade white”.
7 Cut-in + edges. Ceilings, skirting, architraves — visible for the next 10 years.

If a quote doesn’t show these lines, you can’t compare it — and you don’t know what’s been cut.

How it runs

What happens, step by step.

Walkthrough + itemised quote

We measure, test surfaces, and return a quote split into 7 lines.

Colour + product

You pick brand, finish and colours. We check compatibility with your surfaces.

Contract + 10% deposit

On letterhead, licence number, variation rules in writing.

Prep day(s)

Wash, sand, fill, mask, prime. The longest step on a clean job.

Cut-in + coats

Edges cut by brush, walls rolled, proper drying time between coats.

Handover + tins

Daylight walk-through, touch-ups, labelled leftover tins for each room.

Licensed, covered, warranted

The paperwork behind the price.

NSW 284 551C, Public liability to $20M, and a 7-year workmanship workmanship warranty — all in writing, all on request.

Dan walks through exactly what’s covered — the licence you can verify, the cover that protects your home, and the warranty that names its own exclusions instead of hiding them.

Chapter 7 · Claims The licence, the cover, the warranty Filming soon · 2–3 min

The licence, the cover, the warranty — and how to check each one.

Proof — recent work

Specialty Finishes jobs we’ve done.

Before

After

Venetian plaster feature wall, Byron Bay. Three samples, hand-applied polished plaster. Signed off on site.

Before

After

Timber restoration & deck, Byron Bay. Strip, sand, stain and clear-coat. Brought the spotted gum back.

See the full gallery

Questions, answered

Specialty Finishes — common questions.

Why are specialty finishes more expensive? +

They’re labour-intensive craft finishes — multiple hand-applied layers, specialist products and substrate prep that ordinary paint doesn’t need. We quote them line-by-line so you can see where the cost sits.

Can you match a heritage colour or finish? +

Yes. We colour-match originals and use the correct period-appropriate systems for heritage and conservation-area work, including the council-approval conversations where they apply.

Will I see a sample first? +

Always. Decorative finishes are sampled on-site and signed off before we apply the full job — the look is too subjective to leave to a brochure.

Can you paint render, stucco or masonry properly? +

Yes, with the right system. Render and masonry need a breathable, alkali-resistant primer and a coating made to move with the substrate — ordinary house paint over render crazes and flakes within a year. We match the system to the surface and its exposure.

What about lead paint on a pre-1970 or heritage home? +

We test first. Where lead is present we prep lead-safe — containment, the correct PPE and proper disposal — never dry-sanding it into the air. It’s a specialist, costed step, and on heritage work we also handle the original-finish matching and any council colour approvals.

How do I look after a limewash or Venetian plaster finish? +

These are mineral and hand-applied finishes with their own care — gentle cleaning, no harsh scrubbing, and occasional refresh on high-wear spots. We leave you the product details and a short care note so the finish ages the way it’s meant to.

Get a free, itemised quote — split into prep, primer, paint and coats.

Tell us what you need painted. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote you can actually read.

✓ Dulux Accredited✓ Master Painters NSW✓ Licensed & insured to $20M✓ 127 five-star reviews✓ 7-year workmanship warranty