# Specialty Finishes in Melbourne > Stain, varnish, lime wash and textured finishes, applied by hand. Part of [Residential & Commercial Painting](https://peaksurfaces.com.au/services/painting). Specialty finishes are hand-applied paint treatments for homeowners, landlords and small businesses who want more than a flat colour: stain and varnish on timber stairs, doors and handrails, lime wash on render and masonry, textured finishes on walls and doors, and anti-mould paints for bathrooms and laundries. They give depth and character to a surface, and hold up in damp rooms and busy hallways. Stain soaks into timber and shows every sanding mark beneath it. Lime wash dries lighter than it goes on and needs a porous surface to grip. Anti-mould paint only lasts if the growth beneath it has been killed first. We apply all four across Melbourne: sample first, prepare properly, protect the surroundings, leave it clean. ## When you need it - Stairs, handrails or a front door have gone grey or sticky where the varnish has worn through. - You want a soft, chalky look on render or brick that flat paint cannot give. - A hallway, feature wall or tall entry door needs more depth than a plain colour. - Mould keeps coming back on a bathroom or laundry ceiling however often you clean it. ## What is included - A sample patch of the colour or texture on your surface before the full job starts. - Stripping, sanding or keying of the old finish, and filling of dents in timber. - Masking of floors, treads, glass, tapware, benchtops and neighbouring walls. - Primer or mineral undercoat wherever the finish needs one to hold. - Mould treatment and a full wash-down before anti-mould paint goes on. ## Our preparation and application process 1. **Inspect and sample.** We check what is on the surface, from old varnish to live mould, and test a patch so you see the result in place. 2. **Protect and prepare.** Drop sheets and masking go down, hardware comes off, then timber is stripped or sanded, render washed, mould treated, holes filled and primer applied where needed. 3. **Apply by hand.** Stain and varnish in thin coats, lime wash brushed on and left to dry back, textured coatings trowelled or sponged to the agreed pattern, anti-mould paint in two full coats. 4. **Cure and clean up.** Treads stay unwalked and fresh lime wash stays dry until cured; then we check in daylight, touch up, strip the masking, refit hardware and vacuum. ## Materials and systems - **Timber stain and varnish:** Penetrating stain sets the colour and shows the grain; clear varnish on top takes the wear. - **Lime wash:** Breathable mineral finish that soaks into bare render and brick, drying to a soft, chalky look. - **Textured finishes:** Thick-bodied coatings trowelled, sponged or brushed into suede, stone or stippled effects on walls and doors, including tall pivot entry doors. - **Anti-mould wet area paint:** Washable paint with a built-in mould inhibitor for bathroom and laundry walls and ceilings. ## What affects the cost - How much surface there is: one door versus a two-storey staircase with balustrade. - Condition of the old finish: flaking varnish is stripped to bare timber, a sound one only keyed. - The finish itself: lime wash and textured coatings go on in several hand-applied coats. - Access: tall entry doors, stairwell walls and high voids may need platforms or scaffolding. Prices are not published because every surface is different. Quotes are free and without obligation. ## How long it takes A staircase stain and varnish typically takes two to four days, depending on how much old finish comes off and how many coats the treads need; we often work alternate treads so you can still get upstairs. A textured wall or door is typically one to two days. Lime wash goes on over several days and must stay dry while it cures. Varnish is touch dry in hours but hardens for days, so keep rugs and heavy traffic off new treads for a week. ## How to prepare - Clear rugs, pictures and hall tables from the stairwell, or towels and toiletries from a bathroom. - Bring a photo of the tone or texture you like so we can match a sample to it. - Tell us who needs the stairs during the day so we can stage the treads. ## Specialty Finishes: questions people ask ### How much does it cost to stain and varnish timber stairs? It depends on the staircase size, how much old varnish must come off, whether you are changing colour and how many coats the treads need. A light sand and recoat is a much smaller job than a full strip. We give a free, no-obligation quote after seeing it. ### How long does a specialty finish take? Typically one to four days, depending on the finish and the surface. Textured walls and doors are the quickest, staircases take two to four days, and lime wash takes several days because every coat must dry back before the next. ### Can you lime wash a wall that is already painted? Usually yes, with a mineral undercoat first. Lime wash soaks into porous surfaces, so bare render and brick take it best; on a painted wall we prime with a product made for lime wash and prove it with a test patch. ### Will anti-mould paint stop bathroom mould coming back? It slows it down a great deal, but it does not fix the moisture causing it. The paint carries an inhibitor that resists growth on the film, and we kill and remove existing mould before repainting. A missing exhaust fan or leaking shower needs another trade. ## Related services - [Interior Painting](https://peaksurfaces.com.au/services/painting/interior-painting) - [Exterior Painting](https://peaksurfaces.com.au/services/painting/exterior-painting) - [Cabinetry & Vanity Resurfacing](https://peaksurfaces.com.au/services/kitchen-bathroom-makeovers/cabinet-vanity-resurfacing) ## Helpful reading - [How to prepare your home for interior painting](https://peaksurfaces.com.au/guides/preparing-your-home-for-interior-painting): A homeowner checklist for interior painting: colours and sheens, clearing rooms, pets and kids, ventilation, drying times, handover and aftercare. --- Peak Surfaces. Every surface, done right. Based in Coolaroo; service area: Melbourne and across Victoria. - Phone or text: 0424 066 574 - Email: info@peaksurfaces.com.au - Free, no-obligation quote: Web page: Site summary for AI assistants: