Grant Painters’ Brisbane-Sunshine Coast branch recently completed a full exterior refresh of the Cornetts Supermarket Group’s head office at North Lakes.

The two-storey building, complete with spectacular 360 degree views across the suburb from the rooftop, had not been painted in over 10 years – with sections becoming discoloured and extremely “tired” over time.

The brief was to deliver a practical, long-term solution with minimal disruption to the business, which operates 36 stores across Queensland.

The project also had to be completed before the start of the 2025 Christmas holiday break – comfortably achieved by a team of two in little more than a fortnight.

The Clean Team: Pressure washing removed mould and grime prior to painting

• Thorough pressure-washing off all external surfaces to remove mould and residues. Once the surfaces were properly prepared, painting began.
• Careful colour matching of the existing scheme using a combination of mid grey, stone white, and dark grey.

As with any multi-storey building, access can be challenging. Communication between the team and Cornetts staff was also a key feature as cordoning off sections of the car park was necessary throughout the process.    

A scissor lift was brought in to manoeuvre between the side and rear of the premises to reach most sections of the walls, while rooftop harnesses allowed us to reach panels at the very top.

Transformation:  The exterior of the entire building was refurbished in just over two weeks.  

Mobile height:  A scissor lift was brought in to access most of the exterior. 

Rewarding:  While working on a roof in summer heat is challenging, the pay-off is being treated to a birds-eye view of the neighbourhood.

“It looks amazing,” says Cornetts Finance director Caroline Salomone.

“We were also happy with the communication throughout the process.

“Some of the car park had to be cordoned off at various stages but it was straightforward and all went smoothly.”

According to Brisbane–Sunshine Coast foreman Hayden Hilyear: “I was pleased with the finishes and the obvious difference in the building’s appearance before and after.  

“The biggest thing was dealing with the heat, particularly when working on the roof – where there’s nowhere to hide from the sun.

“For the rest, we chased the shade around the building throughout the day.”