Painting your house will not only improve its looks, it’s also the best thing you can do to protect it from the elements – and in New Zealand weather that’s pretty important.
Painting your house will not only improve its looks, it’s also the best thing you can do to protect it from the elements – and in New Zealand weather that’s pretty important.
A coat of paint is your first line of defence against moisture, and with regular maintenance, a solid paint job should last you a good many years.
Preparation is key when you’re painting. This guide will give you some good tips, and help you get the job done properly.
Getting Started
Choose Your Paint
Water-based paints offer a number of advantages, including easy application, fast drying and easy clean up.
Gloss acrylic paints are commonly used for weatherboard homes, while low sheen acrylic paints are popular on brick, cement render and concrete surfaces.
Generally, acrylic based paints are preferred as they are more flexible & allow movement to prevent cracking.
If you need help choosing the type of paint, just ask in-store.
How much paint?
For outside walls, multiply length by height to gauge the area in square metres, then subtract door and window areas from the total.
To determine window and door areas, multiply their width by their height.
One litre of paint will cover approximately 14 square metres (check the paint can as this can vary between brands), but allow an extra 20% for rough or porous surfaces, and an extra 10% for weatherboard edges.
Preparation
Preparation is extremely important when doing any kind of painting, so take your time and get it right.
The first thing is to take a long critical look at your house to see what needs to be done. Look for any defects that may affect the final finish.
It’s important to fix every fault before you begin, because faults and defects tend to be magnified when painted.
Painted Surfaces
All peeling paint must be scraped or wire brushed away, then primed.
Use a chemical stripper around windows as a heat stripper may crack the glass.
Fill cracks and holes - use an exterior filler for brick and concrete, and a ? exible filler for timber. Sand the filler level with the surface.
Thoroughly sand the whole area to be painted to clear any uneven spots and give the new paint a slightly roughened surface it can stick to, especially if the existing paint is a gloss enamel.
Exposed nail heads, if they are not galvanised, should be punched below the surface and the holes filled and sanded smooth to prevent rust stains.
Use a sugar soap to remove all grease, dirt and dust.
Rust on metal guttering, down pipes, gates or metal window frames (not aluminium) should be cleaned away with a wire brush and the metal coated with a rust dissolver.
Gutter leaks should be repaired and sealed with a silicone sealant and on PVC guttering a PVC cement should be used.
Wipe off all dust with a damp cloth before priming.
Mask any windows.
Getting It Done
Buy the best painting tools you can afford. Good brushes and rollers, properly looked after, will give you years of service, speed up the job and give superior results.
Likewise, a top quality roller will cover a 45% greater area per loading, plus give a better finish.
The first step is to mix the paint thoroughly. Use a flat paddle stick or a ruler and stir from the bottom upwards (not just around) until the paint is smooth and colour is even.
Use a roller if possible on flat surfaces as paint will go on five times faster than with a brush.
After coating about one square metre, even out the paint by lightly rolling across the surface with an almost dry roller.
Always work from the unpainted area back into the painted area, maintaining a wet edge to avoid lap marks.
For windows, start by cutting in around the glass with a small brush, then use a larger brush for the surrounding frame. Use masking tape along the glass edge to give a clean finish.
After coating about one square metre, even out the paint by lightly rolling across the surface with an almost dry roller. Always work from the unpainted area back into the painted area, maintaining a wet edge to avoid lap marks. Be sure to prime any new or exposed metal on gutters and downpipes before painting. For windows, start by cutting in around the glass with a small brush, then use a larger brush for the surrounding frame. Use masking tape along the glass edge to give a clean finish.
When To Paint
Outside painting should only be done in temperatures between 10° and 40°C.
In summer, the best way is to follow the sun around your home and paint only on the shady side. Hot sun will dry out the surface too quickly, which may cause the paint to bubble.
The ideal time to paint is about an hour after sunrise when the dew has had a chance to dry out and at least two hours before sunset or the onset of rain.
Even a small amount of moisture can cause blisters and peeling. Again, always paint on the shady side, never in the sun.
Clean Up
Clean brushes and rollers in turpentine if you’ve been working with solvent-based paints; clean in water if you’ve been using water-based paints.
Wash brushes in the turpentine cleaner or water until all the paint has been ushed out. Make sure you get all the paint out of the ferrule (this is the metal plate that secures the bristles in place) as this will increase the life of your brush.
Flush out rollers under running water or by working turpentine through the nap. Then wash in warm soapy water and rinse well.
Always store brushes flat or hanging up, never standing on the bristles. Rollers should be set on end or hung up to dry, otherwise the nap of the roller is flattened.
