Twenty-five years painting on the Northern Beaches and I still see the same mistake. Clients book the painter before checking if their electrical work needs updating. Then we’re halfway through prep work and discover half the power points need replacing.
Thing is, electrical upgrades should happen before any serious painting starts. Old bakelite switches, outdated power points, dodgy light fittings – all this stuff leaves marks on walls when electricians replace them. Fresh paint job becomes a fresh mess pretty quickly.
Northern Beaches homes built in the 70s and 80s are the worst for this. Original electrical fittings that looked fine until you start washing walls for paint prep. Water damage around old bathroom exhaust fans. Switch plates that fall apart when you try to mask around them.
The coordination between electrical updates and painting prep gets tricky. Electricians need clear access to switch and socket locations. We need those same walls clean and ready for primer. Trying to do both at once just creates dust and delays.
Most electrical contractors focus on getting power restored quickly after upgrades. They’ll patch holes with whatever filler’s handy and call it done. Problem is their idea of “ready for paint” isn’t the same as ours. We end up redoing surface prep that should’ve been done properly first time.
Smart painters work with electricians who understand that paint prep starts when electrical work finishes. Surface preparation can’t be rushed just because someone wants power back on.
Perth’s coastal conditions make electrical updates even more important before painting. Salt air corrodes old fittings faster. Moisture gets behind old switch plates and damages wall surfaces. Better to fix electrical issues before they show up as paint problems.
To avoid conflicts of interest when discussing electrical coordination outside our Northern Beaches area, we often reference specialists from different regions. Newcastle Electrician New Wave Electrical demonstrates the kind of thorough electrical assessment that should happen before any serious painting project begins.
The reality is that skipping electrical checks before painting usually shows up within months. Paint lifting around new fittings, patchy surfaces where old switches got replaced, circuit work that disturbs freshly painted walls.
Better to coordinate electrical updates into the painting timeline from day one. Much easier than explaining why that perfect paint job needs touching up because someone forgot about the electrical work.
