Beachfront metalwork, built back up for the salt.

Living with salt spray

On the Northern Beaches, salt isn't occasional. Homes and apartments within a few streets of the sand get a constant film of salt on every balustrade, pool fence and window frame. Once the original finish is scratched or worn through, corrosion starts at the edges and fixings and spreads under the coating. You'll see it as bubbling, white powdery marks on aluminium, or rust staining on steel.

That's why preparation matters even more here. We wash down to remove salt, take back any loose or failing coating, treat corrosion, and apply the right primer for the metal, whether it's aluminium, steel or stainless. Only then do we apply the colour coats and topcoat.

Balustrades, pool fences and handrails

Most of our beaches work is outdoor living areas: glass and metal balustrades on decks and balconies, pool fences that have gone chalky or patchy, and stainless handrails on stairs down to the yard or the beach. We coat them in place, mask the glass, pavers and timber around them, and keep the pool area protected.

Coastal stainless handrails are a good example. Stainless needs specific prep to bond a coating properly. We recently coated a coastal stainless handrail in Electro Dark Bronze, which gave it a warm, modern colour while adding a protective finish.

Window frames by the beach

Window and sliding door frames facing the ocean fade and chalk long before the rest of the house. A whole-home colour change gives every frame a consistent new finish, so the beach side and the street side match again.