Exterior decorating comes in many forms, but one of the biggest jobs on a lot of peoples lists this Spring and Summer is masonry painting. It can be daunting, especially if your house is particularly big or if there are problems with the outside surface, however, there are many benefits to painting your outside walls.
Giving a home a fresh lick of paint can really transform a house. It’s surprising how we may not notice the slow deterioration of the walls over time, and it’s often not until after you’ve decorated that you can see a real difference. It’s a great way to revitalise the walls, especially if you’re looking to sell your house and want to impress!
A major factor to consider, is to protect your wall. Depending on the paint you use, you can protect your house from all the elements; rain can infiltrate your exterior walls and cause damp on the inside, the sun and UV can cause problems such as blistering, peeling and fading amongst other things, and there are other issues such as mould growth to worry about!
Exterior painting is undeniably a good thing to do, it’s just… how do you do it? Where do you start? What do you do if the surface is problematic?
Firstly, having your paint ready to go is going to make the job a lot easier and faster because it means you can paint immediately after preparing your walls! It’s not good to wait around for days after you have done the prep work as this gives time for the weather to cause damage before painting!
We think Sandtex Ultra Smooth Masonry Paint is a great option to choose when considering masonry paint. It is a waterproof paint that can be used on masonry, brick, render and concrete surfaces, providing a breathable protective coating. It is resistant to peeling, flaking, dirt, and most wonderfully – mould! It is rainproof in an hour and provides up to 15 years of durability.
Before purchasing your paint, its better to work out how much paint you’ll need so you’re not stuck with too little or too much! Work out the square metres by measuring the height and the length of the wall and multiplying these together. You can take away the area of any doors and windows to be more precise. Add all your walls together to get the total amount of square meters you need to paint!
It is important to take into consideration the coverage of the paint and how many coats you need.
Sandtex Smooth Masonry Paint has a coverage up to 16 m2 per litre. A 5 Litre can will cover approximately 60 m2 and 2 coats are recommended.
All you have to do is choose your colour! Choosing a colour can be time consuming! Check out our previous blog “Our Top 5 Sandtex Masonry Paint Colours” to help make your choice easier!
There can be a lot of issues with your walls that will inhibit paint from sticking to them. It is important to tackle these issues to stop problems like mould growth from coming through your new layer of paint.
Remove loose and flaking materials by scraping or brushing with a stiff bristle brush, making sure there is no debris or obstacles that will get in the way of the paint.
Here are some common issues and how to prepare them ready for painting:
The application of paint really isn’t difficult! It can be done with a brush, roller or by spraying, all of which are good ways to achieve a flawless finish, however, painting your whole house with a brush is a little time consuming!
Take note: When you are using more than one batch of paint, mix the tubs together before you start painting to ensure you have good colour consistency throughout. It is also recommended to use a scaffolding platform to be able to work safely at height.
It is as simple as two steps to paint your house!
Spraying is an option for applying SOME masonry paints, but it is always important to check. Sandtex Ultra Smooth Masonry Paint can be applied with an airless spray, making sure the paint is diluted with water by 10-15%. While spraying seems like the fastest and best option, it is not as easy as it seems! Unless you have had experience with it before, spraying paint can be quite messy, - it covers everything!
Rolling paint, although it may take a bit longer, is a great way to paint exterior walls and our preferred option. The paint goes on thicker, giving great coverage and you have more control over where the paint goes – this means less masking!
After painting, you’re all done! Painting exterior walls is not as difficult as it seems as long as you have the right products.
Sandtex Smooth Masonry Paint is a great choice for painting your walls so why not give it a go!
Let us know how you get on by messaging us on social media or sending us an email!
