Give your house kerb appeal with Sandtex

When is the best time of year to paint the exterior of your house?

If you were thinking summer, you would be correct!

Summer is the best time of year for painting the exterior of your house, as early summer, or early autumn yield the best results for masonry painting. This is not only due to the lack of rainfall, but it’s often the temperature too.

Dependant on the paint you use, if you opt to paint your home in the heart of summer, certain masonry paints can dry too quickly, which can show even slightest overlap in coats, brush marks or event lumps of paint that have begun to dry whilst the paint has been loaded to the brush or roller.

Do I need to paint the exterior of my house?

If you’re asking yourself that question, the answer is yes. You don’t have to be selling to give your house the TLC it deserves - although freshly painting the exterior of your home does give a great first impression and kerb appeal which will help if you are considering selling.

Picking the perfect paint

When it comes to picking the paint for your home, there’s a decision to be made around the colour to go  for. 

In recent years, more and more colours of masonry paint have become available, giving homeowners the chance to really make their mark on their street with a house that reflects them, both inside and out. At Paint Direct, we stock an incredibly wide range of masonry paints for different renders and colour schemes - we’ve even got pink for those who live life bold! 

For example, Farrow and Ball’s masonry paint is available in 108 colours - from a traditional white, to a sunny yellow!

If you are looking for tones that are a little more traditional, you should consider Sandtex - The UK and Ireland's leading wood, metal and masonry paints brand, protecting building exteriors for over 60 years.

Sandtex’s paint has proven durability on a variety of surfaces, and it’s even dirt resistant, keeping your home looking lighter and brighter for longer. 

At Paint Direct, we stock Sandtex’s masonry paint in 28 colours. For help picking, you should check out what Sandtex's most popular colours for 2021 were!

Did you know?

In addition to being dirt resistant, Sandtex’s paint has microseal technology which ensures that the paint is breathable and waterproof - two essential qualities to look for in masonry paint in the UK.

How much paint do I need to paint the outside of my house?

To work out how much paint you will need to paint your house, follow this simple calculation:

Measure the length of each surface and multiply by the height, as per the diagram below.

For example, in the image, the house is 8 metres wide, and 5 metres tall, which gives us 40m2.

For walls with doors and windows, you’ll need to follow the same formula, and subtract the size of the windows and doors to give you the total amount of wall to be painted in square metres.

Once you have calculated this, you’ll be able to work out how much paint you will need. 

A 5L  can of Sandtex’s masonry paint will cover approximately 60 m2 on smooth rendering.

At the moment, Paint Direct has a great deal available for Sandtex paint. You can purchase three, 5L cans for just £69.00!

How do I paint the outside of my house?

Like all painting projects, there is prep work that must be done.

If the exterior of your house is dirty, or has flaking paint, it’s recommended to use a pressure washer to remove the dirt and flaky paint to ensure your new paint goes on smoothly.

You should fill any cracks and holes with Sandtex’s masonry filler, which is incredibly easy to use as it comes ready made. Being both crack resistant and waterproof, this filler is suitable for use on exterior brick, render, stone leaving your exterior ready for masonry paint.

What brushes should I use to paint the outside of my house?

A masonry brush, of course!

Masonry brushes differ to interior brushes as they’re much firmer, given the consistency of the paint and the surface they’re painting. At Paint Direct, we would recommend Rodo ProDec Exterior Masonry Painting Kit.

The Rodo ProDec Exterior Masonry Painting Kit comes with 2 x 9" Heavy Duty masonry rollers, a stick system frame, a push fit adaptor and a high quality 4" masonry brush, allowing you to paint every nook and cranny - high or low.

Ready to refresh your house? Tap here to explore the Sandtex range at Paint Direct.