House Painting - Everything You Need To Know

What Paint Do I Need To Paint A House?

Not all paint is the same. The outside of our houses are made up of a number of materials, from masonry to timber, with each material requiring a different paint. This is because paints are designed with different properties to best perform on that surface.

While the chances are you are planning to paint to exterior walls of your house, this does not mean you will only being painting the exterior walls. Many homeowners decide to paint exterior trim such as windows, doors & fascias at the same time, which all require a different decorating process. Here are the main surfaces that you can expect to come across when decorating the exterior of your home:

Exterior Walls

Masonry paint is a paint that is specifically designed to be applied to any exterior wall, including brick, stone, concrete & render. It like all exterior paints always comes with some form of weather protection, although its long-term durability is dictated by its quality, its ability to keep water out and its breathability.

Masonry paint comes in four broad forms; acrylic masonry paint, silicone masonry paint, limewash & pliolite. Limewash and pliolite are generally reserved for specific projects, while acrylic masonry paint and silicone masonry paint are the two most common forms available in the UK. Acrylic masonry paint is a standard form of masonry paint that is often 'weatherproof' or 'weather resistant' meaning while prevents some weathering it does not prevent all water ingress. They come with lifespans between 3-15 years and are widely available from leading manufacturers such as Dulux, Crown & Sandtex. Silicone masonry paint is a technologically advanced form of masonry paint that creates a water repellent surface on exterior walls that prevents any water absorption. It is also designed to be highly breathable, allowing any moisture inside a house to naturally escape. As water is the biggest cause of paint failure, by keeping the exterior wall dry silicone masonry paints come with extreme durability in excess of 25 years.

Windows & Doors

Windows & doors can be made of a number of materials, usually either wood or UPVC. This provides the chance to use either a dedicated exterior wood treatment if you are painting wood or a multi-surface paint if you are looking to paint UPVC. A multi-surface paint is also ideal if you need to paint both UPVC and wood as it prevents the need to buy two different paints, saving you time and money.

With wood treatments, there are a number of options that offer different finishes:

• Exterior wood paint - these products offer a solid/opaque colour finish that covers the grain of the wood. These often come in satin, gloss & matt finishes
• Exterior wood stain - these offer a coloured finish while enhancing the grain of the wood
• Exterior wood varnish - these create a hard, protective barrier on exterior wood
• Exterior wood oil - these nourish the wood to enhance it's natural beauty, while also providing protection

Fascias & Soffits

Fascias & soffits are both parts of the exterior trim of a property that are most commonly wooden. They run underneath the roofline adding extra protection as well as holding the guttering of the property. As parts of exterior wood, these are best painted using a good-quality exterior wood paint.

The Best Paints To Use

Whether you are looking to fully renovate the outside of your house or just want to touch it up to give it a new lease of life, using the best paint possible is crucial for long-term performance and a beautiful finish. Here are our recommendations on the best paints to use for a number of surfaces:

The Best Paint For Exterior Walls

1. Emperor Masonry Paint

When it comes to the highest quality masonry paint on the market in the UK, look no further than Emperor Masonry Paint. Emperor Masonry Paint is a silicone masonry paint that creates a super hydrophobic surface on exterior walls that prevents 96% of water absorption while also being highly breathable. This means that moisture cannot absorb into the exterior wall, any moisture from inside the house can naturally breathe out.

With moisture being the single biggest cause of paint failure, by keeping exterior walls dry, Emperor Masonry Paint prevents the risk of moisture causing the paint to fail. In independent testing, Emperor Masonry Paint was found to have no change in appearance of performance after a 25-year accelerated weathering period. Due to this, Emperor Paint offer a lifetime guarantee on their masonry paint, ensuring it's performance for decades.

The super hydrophobic technology also gives the paint self-cleaning properties. Preventing water absorption means that exterior masonry stays looking clean and free from moss, lichens & other organic growth, which require moisture to grow. Any discolouration caused by wet exterior walls is also prevented.

Emperor Masonry Paint comes in 12 standard colours, including white, off-white, witney cream, beige & light grey, plus a number of pastel pinks, blues & greens. While it is more expensive than some other masonry paints on the market, Emperor Masonry Paint is designed to offer better long-term value, as it prevents the need to repaint the masonry every few years when other paints can fail. After all, a job done right is a job done once!

• Super hydrophobic
• Highly breathable
• Self-cleaning
• Proven to keep painted walls up to 6°C warmer on average
• Lifetime guarantee
• Prevents penetrating damp
• High opacity

2. Armstead Masonry Paint

When it comes to a standard acrylic masonry paint we recommend Armstead Masonry Paint. While it does not offer the weather protection of a silicone masonry paint it still comes in a 15 year lifespan which is higher than many retail masonry paints that you will find on the shelves at DIY stores.

Armstead Masonry Paint is especially useful if you are looking for a specific colour, as it can be mixed in almost any colour you want. Whether you want a specific RAL or British Standard colour or you want it colour matched to an equivalent of another brands colour, it can be done with Armstead Masonry Paint.

If you are looking for a trade-quality masonry paint that offers great value, look no further!

Pros:

• Shower resistant
• 15 year lifespan
• Can be mixed in almost any colour
• Cheaper than other trade masonry paints

The Best Paint For Windows & Doors

When it comes to painting exterior trim such as windows & doors, the easiest and most popular paint to use is Zinsser Allcoat. The AllCoat range is designed for the ultimate performance on outdoor surfaces including wood, metal, plastic, and cladding. It is completely mould resistant and boasts an impressive durability of 15 years.

It offers this durability, similar to Emperor Masonry Paint, by being breathable, allowing water vapour to pass through it. The technology in AllCoat is resistant to cracking and blistering, as well as being completely self-priming product.

Zinsser Allcoat is also highly versatile as it is available in almost any colour & gloss, satin & matt finishes, allowing you to achieve any look you want. Whether you have UPVC or wooden windows & doors, Zinsser Allcoat is the perfect paint to use.

The Best Paint For Fascia & Soffits

The paint for exterior wood that we would recommend is Sadolin Superdec, which is a highly durable opaque exterior wood paint for all exterior woodwork, except decking. Sadolin Superdec remains flexible and resists cracking, peeling and flaking. It is also self priming & offers 10 year protection. This altogether makes it everything you could need in an exterior wood paint. Plus, it is available in a huge range of colours with our paint mixing service here at Painters World.

Top Tips For Painting A House

Tip 1: Masking

Make sure you mask window, doors & any other areas you do not want to paint. This will ensure not only you achieve the neatest possible finish but also that these surfaces are protected from the paint. It is also a good idea to put down a dust sheet to protect the floor.

Tip 2: Preparation

Preparing a surface is the most important part of any decorating project. The surface must be clean & sound before you pick up any paint. Ensure you wash the surface down with a stiff brush and fill the surface using an appropriate exterior filler. If you are painting exterior walls that suffer from green growth, it is crucial to apply a fungicidal cleaner that will kill this fungal growth such as Emperor Masonry Cleaner. If you do not apply the cleaner, any green growth that is present underneath the paint can cause it to blister.

Tip 3: Priming

If you are painting a surface that has never been painted before, it is important to apply a primer first. This creates a solid base for the paint to adhere to, ensuring the best possible long-term performance of the paint. You do not need a primer if the surface has been previously painted.

Tip 4: Check the weather

Make sure you choose a dry day and give yourself as much possible time to complete the project. If the heavens open while you are painting, you run the risk of the paint washing off. The temperature must also be above 5°C as any colder would mean that the paint could not dry properly.

Tip 5: Use quality materials

One of the keys to achieving professional results is using professional materials. From the paint to the roller you use, using good quality equipment gives you the best possible chance to achieve beautiful results that last. When it comes to paint, spending a bit more upfront can mean you can save money overall. This is because poor quality masonry paint from DIY shops can often have a lower coverage and opacity than trade quality masonry paint. This means not only will the paint not go as far, but it could also mean you have to apply three coats. In terms of equipment, we recommend you opt for good quality brushes, rollers and masking tape from trade quality brands like Wooster, Hamilton & Q1 Tape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How often should you paint a house?

The frequency in which you will have to repaint areas of your home's exterior depends on a number of factors. This includes the weathering it must endure, the paint you have used & the quality of the preparation when it was painted. All of these can have an impact on the durability of the paint, so it can be different for everyone. If you have prepared the surface well before painting you can expect to reach the lifespans that paint manufacturers suggest, be it 25+ years with Emperor Masonry Paint or 15 years with Zinsser Allcoat.

Q. How much paint will I need?

Once again, this depends on the situation. The way to work out how much paint you will need for a project is the find out the size of the area, the coverage of the paint & the number of coats needed. Start by measuring the length and height of the surface in metres and multiplying these numbers together. This will give you the square metres of the surface. Then you can check with the manufacturer what the coverage of the paint is and how many coats are required.

If you are painting a wall of 50m2 with a paint with a coverage of 5m2 per litre, you will need 10L of that paint to apply one coat, and 20L of that paint to apply two coats.

Q. Can you paint a house yourself?

Absolutely! Anyone can decorate the outside of their home, but it is important to understand that there are more things that can go wrong compared to painting indoors. As we have discussed, the weather can play a big role when painting outside so it is crucial to check it ahead of time to ensure you can complete your project. Other than that, take your time, follow the advice from our experts and you will be able to completely transform your home.

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding house painting. At Painters World we have a wide range of trade paint, decorating tools & supplies available, so no matter the job, we've got everything you need! Shop our huge range of products today & get FREE next working day delivery on all orders over £50.