Scope
What's included
Washing down the whole elevation first, because paint over mould and chalk fails within a couple of years.
Cutting out and replacing failed sealant at joints and window perimeters before any coating goes on.
Patching cracks, drummy render and minor spalling, so the recoat is not hiding a defect.
Priming to suit the substrate: bare render, chalked existing coating, galvanised steel or previously painted steel.
Two topcoats of a membrane or acrylic system selected for the substrate and the exposure.
Balcony ledges, soffits, handrails and the undersides everyone forgets until they are the only tired part left.
Steelwork prepared by hand or wire wheel, primed and finished in a three coat system.
Masking and protection of glass, balustrade, planting and anything below the drop, checked at the end of every day.
Process
How a repaint runs
01
Roof walk and coating spec
We identify every substrate, check what is already on it and specify a system that will bond to it. Where the existing coating is unknown we test rather than assume.
02
Sample area
One area gets prepared and coated first so the committee can see the colour and the finish on their own building, in their own light, before the whole elevation is committed.
03
Prepare and coat
Wash, repair, seal, prime, then two topcoats, one elevation at a time from the top down. Residents get a notice and a schedule of which levels are affected when.
04
Inspect and hand over
We walk the finished elevations with you before derigging, so anything that needs another pass gets it while the ropes are still up.
Preparation
Preparation is most of the job
Almost every high rise repaint that fails early failed at preparation. What the existing surface is decides the price more than the paint does.
Sound existing coating
Wash, spot prime the bare patches, two topcoats over the top.
Fastest and cheapest case, and the one most quotes quietly assume.
Needs an adhesion test first, because a coating can look sound and still let go.
Typical on a building repainted within the last twelve to fifteen years.
Failing coating
Chalking, peeling or blistering that has to come off before anything new goes on.
Scraping, sanding and sometimes full removal, which is where the days go.
Usually means water is getting behind it, so the entry point gets fixed first.
Costs more than the paint by a wide margin, and skipping it wastes the whole job.
Asbestos or lead
Older sheeting is assumed to contain asbestos until a register says otherwise, so no water blasting and no abrasive preparation.
Pre 1970s paint may contain lead, which changes the preparation method and the notifications.
Where testing confirms it, minimal wet preparation and an encapsulating primer over the sound coating is usually the sensible answer.
We raise this at quote stage. Finding it mid job is what blows a painting programme apart.
Photos
On site
Why us
Why building managers call us back
Abseil Pro has been working Brisbane buildings since 2017. This is what that actually buys you.
Certified and insured
IRATA certified technicians on every job, supervised by a Level 3.
$20 million public liability and $10 million professional indemnity.
Work carried out to the Australian Standards for rope access and height safety.
SWMS, JSA and a job specific rescue plan in your hands before anyone arrives.
One crew, many trades
Rope access plus real trade tickets: arborist, painter and height safety installer.
Cleaning, gardening, painting, repairs and inspections from the same crew on the same ropes.
One mobilisation instead of four, which is where most of the saving actually comes from.
The same faces each visit, so nobody has to relearn your building.
It all gets documented
A free photo inspection at the end of every job, not just the big ones.
Anything we notice on the facade, flagged with a photo and a location.
Fixed prices, with variations quoted before the work rather than after it.
A fixed price with the assumptions written down, and a free on-site consult if you would rather we looked first.
FAQ
Questions building managers ask
How often does a building need repainting?
Most Brisbane render and acrylic systems run ten to fifteen years before they need a full recoat, less on the weather elevations and on anything near the river or the bay. Washing the building each year buys years on the coating, which is the cheapest maintenance decision a committee makes.
What does a high rise repaint cost?
It is quoted per elevation after a roof walk, because the preparation is what moves the number rather than the area. A team of two is $2,400 a day and a mid sized residential building usually runs three to six weeks. We will always give you the preparation assumptions in writing so a comparison against another quote is a real comparison.
Do residents need to move out or stay home?
Neither. All the work is external. Residents get a schedule showing which levels are being worked on which days, and are asked to keep balcony doors closed and bring washing in while we are on their level.
Can you paint in Brisbane summer?
Yes, with planning. We watch the surface temperature rather than the air temperature, work the shaded elevations through the hottest part of the day, and stop for rain and for wind that would carry overspray. Storm season means a programme has contingency days built in.
What about the balconies and the windows?
Glass, balustrade and fittings are masked before any coating goes near them. Painting windows shut is the classic complaint on a high rise repaint and it is entirely avoidable with proper masking and a check at the end of each drop.
Can you do the repairs at the same time?
Yes, and it is the right way to do it. Patching spalled concrete, replacing failed sealant and recoating are the same access and the same crew. Doing them as separate jobs means paying to rig the building twice.
How do we get a price?
Start with the free quote, or book an on-site consult if you would rather we looked at the building first. Most jobs can be quoted without a site meeting. Either way you get a fixed price with the assumptions written down, usually within two business days, with no charge and no obligation.
What areas do you cover?
Brisbane and south east Queensland, from the Sunshine Coast down to the Gold Coast, which is where the great majority of our work is. We travel further for portfolio clients and for buildings that are hard to get anyone else onto, including interstate. If you are not sure whether your building is in range, ask.
