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Keeping your school's buildings well-maintained inside and out is about more than appearances. It protects the health and safety of your students, staff, and their families—and helps your institution make the right impression every single day.
So, how often should you repaint your school? The honest answer is: it depends.
Here are five key factors every school facilities manager should consider when planning a painting maintenance programme.
1. How Old Is Your School Building?
The older the building, the more layers of paint it has accumulated over the years. Over time, this build-up can lead to delamination—where the weight of newer paint coats causes the layers beneath to break down and fracture.
The older your building, the more frequently it will need attention. Avello Group designs painting maintenance programmes that minimise disruption to your school's operations while keeping all surfaces in excellent condition with as little input required from your team as possible.
What does delamination look like?
In a nutshell, delamination occurs when the weight of the most recent coat of paint causes the layers of paint beneath it to break down. So, the more aged a building becomes, the more regularly it will need to be painted.
To honour the aesthetic integrity of older schools, we recommend the implementation of a well-thought-out painting maintenance program. At Avello, our painting programs are designed to require as little client input as possible, reducing disruption to normal business operation whilst keeping you informed on the condition of all surfaces.
2. What Surfaces Are Being Painted?
In commercial painting, a substrate refers to the surface the paint is applied to whether that is plaster, brick, timber, concrete, or roofing. The type of substrate significantly impacts how long a paint job lasts and how often it needs to be maintained.
A few key considerations:
- Hard surfaces (concrete, tiles, plaster) tend to hold paint longer as they remain stable
- Soft surfaces (timber, weatherboard, plywood) require more frequent care due to their flexible, porous nature
- Surface angle matters — surfaces angled less than 60° to the horizontal deteriorate faster due to UV exposure and residue build-up
- Surface condition — new, protected surfaces will always outlast aged or weather-exposed ones
Matching the right paint product to each substrate is essential for maximising longevity and reducing maintenance costs over time.
3. How Well Is Your School Cleaned?
A consistent cleaning routine is one of the most effective ways to extend the life of your school's paintwork. Watch out for these common culprits:
- Mould — thrives on damp surfaces and can spread quickly through portable classrooms, leaking roofs, or poorly sealed windows
- Lichen and moss — lichen in particular can eat into metal surfaces if left untreated and should be removed as soon as it appears
- Bird droppings — contain uric acid, which erodes painted surfaces over time if not cleaned promptly
Staying on top of cleaning reduces the frequency and cost of repainting, thus keeps your campus looking its best between scheduled maintenance visits.
4. What Colours Has Your School Used?
Paint colour affects how quickly a surface ages. Darker colours absorb more heat, causing the coating to expand and contract with temperature changes which accelerates wear and fading. According to the experts at Dulux, colour change due to fading is a natural and expected form of paint degradation, however, it can also be easily confused with or exacerbated by other issues, such as environmental contamination which cause a noticeable change in your paint’s appearance.
If your school features both dark and light tones, you may find the darker surfaces require repainting more frequently than lighter areas. A tailored painting maintenance programme takes this into account, scheduling touch-ups and repaints based on how each colour and surface performs over time.
5. Where is your school building located?
Schools located in corrosion zones—generally within 1 km of the coastline or 10 km of breaking surf—require special consideration when it comes to exterior paint selection. These environments accelerate corrosion and surface deterioration, making the choice of paint products critical to long-term durability.
Not sure if your school falls within a corrosion zone? Your local council can advise, and the Avello Group team is also happy to assist. We always select paints suited to your specific region and environment.
Connect with us!
Every school is different, and a one-size-fits-all approach simply does not work when it comes to painting maintenance. At Avello Group, we offer:
- Free property paint condition reports
- Onsite estimates and project consultations
- Tailored painting maintenance programmes for schools across Melbourne
If you are ready to protect your school's buildings and create a better environment for your community, get in touch with our team today.
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