WHEN SHOULD I PAINT THE OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE?

When Should I Paint the outside of my House?

With the hours of daylight finally starting to get a bit longer, and the weather getting milder, we feel Spring in the air and our minds turn to all those outside jobs we have been eager to get started.

As the long, dark days of winter are behind us for now, we might start to look at the outside of our houses to assess any damage the winter has done or just to freshen up the colour to reflect the longer daylight hours.

The first rule of painting is preparation, and along with that is when to start preparing!

When to paint is something that if it is overlooked, can cause long term issues such as the paint failing and the possibility of redoing it much sooner than anticipated.

So when should you paint the outside of your house.

The weather plays a massive part of this.  In order to make sure your paint gets the best chance to dry and form that all important adhesion with your surface, you need to check the weather forecast.  Temperatures should not fall below 10^oC degrees during the time you are applying the paint and also during the time the paint is drying.  As you need to apply 2 coats for the best coverage and colour, this can mean you need that temperature for as much as 48 hours.

It is also very important not to paint if there is a risk of rain, fog, frost or if the relative humidity is above 80%.  All these conditions mean there will be too much moisture in the air for the paint to dry effectively and will cause surface defects over time.

Watching the weather is the best type of preparation you can do for painting the outside of your house.

Preparation is key!

While you are watching the weather, you also need to make sure that the surface of your house is ready to be painted. Ensure the surface is clean, dry, sound, free from dirt and grease, and remove any loose or flaky paint.  If there are any surface defects, these should be filled with exterior grade filler or exterior grade acrylic caulk.  Surfaces that remain powdery or chalky after thorough preparation should be primed with a coat of Colourtrend Weather Stabilising Primer.  For priming new or bare surfaces, or for areas with highly absorbent fillers, we recommend a coat of Colourtrend Prime 4 PSU.

If you have areas affected by biological growth or mould, they should be treated with Colourtrend Weather Fungicidal Wash. Allow up to 3 days for fungicide to take full effect then power wash with water to remove residue.  This process may need to be repeated if there is heavy growths.

Weather still not warm enough?

If the temperatures are still not helping for your exterior painting job but you need to get a project completed, Colourtrend Pliocoat is a tough, breathable, durable decorative finish for external masonry surfaces and can be applied in temperatures as low as 5°C. The weather still needs to remain dry, with no risk of fog or frost.

Colourtrend Pliocoat is a premium quality, low odour, water thinnable topcoat that dries to a matt finish. It is suitable for direct application to concrete, roughcast, concrete block, pebbledash, brick and cement render. It is ideal for pre-cast surfaces such as windowsills and wall cappings.

Colourtrend Pliocoat contains Hydro Pliolite® resin, giving excellent adhesion and

durability to your paint finish, along with outstanding water resistance.

Choosing your exterior colour scheme

Colourtrend Weather exterior masonry paint is available in all of Colourtrend’s thousands of colours so the choice is endless. However, we have expertly chosen a selection of colours for our Weather Collection colour card that makes the choice easy for you.  All the colours on this beautiful palette  work in harmony with the unique and beautiful Irish light and natural colours of our surrounding landscape.

We always recommend trialling your colour choice under various lighting conditions. Colours can seem to change depending on the light source they are under and the environment they are in – this can mean even the colour of your neighbour’s house can affect how the colour on your own house will look.

Colourtrend Exterior Masonry paint is Irish made for Irish weather and will keep your house looking beautiful for longer.  When the weather has been kind enough to accommodate exterior painting, we would love to see your completed projects, make sure to send them to us or tag us in them on Facebook and Instagram.