Constructed in 1855, Ballam Park Homestead is officially the oldest house in Frankston.

Though virtually unchanged since it was first built, the two-storey building and adjacent cottages had become discoloured and needed a facelift, which our local Dandenong experts were happy to accommodate.

The challenge

In present times the Homestead operates as a tourist attraction, with ghost tours and a view into the facility’s history. The presentation of the Homestead is essential to continue attracting visitors – however, its paintwork had become faded both internally and externally and needed a new lease on life.

The age of the facility presented two challenges. Firstly, the heritage-listing of the building required heritage guidelines to be followed, which requires an added layer of complexity when preparing the operations plan. Further, lead tests determined that lead was present on several of the substrates. Access proved to be complicated with no single methodology being suitable for all areas.

Solution

After identifying that lead was present in the facility’s existing paint system, we gauged the condition of the paint to determine our operations plan. As the paint was in good condition, we encapsulated using Dulux Total Prep, before applying decorative coatings. Heritage colours were used throughout the project, which the customer approved after we provided samples at the project’s outset.

Access challenges were mitigated with savvy operations planning – bespoke scaffolding was erected and utilised along with boom lifts and step ladders. The chimneys proved to be particularly challenging, however scaffolding on the roofs enabled safe access. Our access methodology successfully avoided damaging any gardens adjacent to the buildings. Through consistent communication around our work schedule, we were able to safely complete all works concurrent with the non-Higgins contractors on-site.

Results

Taking on this marquee project for our long-time customer Frankston City Council, we were excited to be able to rejuvenate their facility. After three months on-site, our team had completed the project to a high standard with the end product thrilling the customer.