Painting exterior walls
- Flaky exterior wall paint
Refresh Coatings is a painting contractor in Johannesburg specialising in exterior and interior wall painting.
Exterior wall paint is usually acrylic based, (water-based) and designed to withstand the harsher elements of sun and the elements. Painting the exterior walls needs a thorough preparation with good quality paint, as well as fixing of vulnerable areas where the plaster and paint have cracked.
Preparation needed when repainting the exterior walls:
Previously painted walls:
If you walls have already been painted, maintenance is needed in intervals to prevent mould, and integrity of the wall structure. This can be a daunting job, and the painter needs to ensure they have planned well with the correct tools in place for repainting the wall.
Step 1: Assessment
Assess the exterior walls for cracks in the plaster, paint and brickwork and repair these as far as reasonably possible.
Step 2: Preparation 
Remove loose paint, plant pots which are fastened, climbing plants and any other debris from the walls. including dust or other deposits on the walls, mould or moss growth.
If there are window shutters which can be a hindrance to the painting of the wall, then these will also need to be temporarily removed. Powdery deposits need to be removed, flaky paint and holes filled up with a strong crack filler for exterior walls, or plastering of the wall might even be required.
Ensure the wall is clean and DRY and repaired before starting the undercoat.
Damp proofing the exterior walls
For walls where damp is not a recurring problem, exterior wall paint provides a protection against rain and damp conditions. The exterior wall paint specifically designed for exterior walls allows moisture that is inside the room to evaporate, while helping to damp proof the outside walls against moisture. For rising damp and recurring damp issues, with the walls, the correct damp proofing procedure needs to be followed to prevent mould and deterioration of the wall structure.
Damp proofing walls: Rising damp needs to be solved before exterior walls need to be painted, this is done by removing the source of the damp, and adding in ventilation where possible and using damp proofing products which seal the wall properly.
Painting the base of the exterior wall
Create a clean space at the base of the wall where the dirt is cleaned away, and there is a differentiation between ground level and the exterior wall to be painted. Creating the barrier helps in preventing clogging of the brushes with sand/soil and damp from the soil. All untreated bricks need to have undercoat painted.
Door frames and window frames are taped to prevent paint splatter.
Exterior wall painting needs to be done with overlaps without uneven or patchy areas.
Roof gutters need to be cleaned, de-rusted and fixed before painting. Gutter maintenance is often a needed part of repainting your exterior walls. Painting the exterior walls of a property can be a large and daunting project.
Previously unpainted exterior walls:
Painting walls might seem a good idea, and can make the exterior wall look great, you can change the look and colour of the wall and it works out cheaper than building with face-brick, but the wall painting needs to be done using the correct procedures, and maintained through the wall’s life time. This means that it takes careful consideration about HOW the wall should be painted. To “un-paint” a wall is a difficult and expensive venture. Exterior walls which are being painted should be plastered, sealed, and painted with exterior wall paint to increase the life time of the paint.
Using a painting contractor could work out the best option saving time and frustration (and a possible re-do) when considering how you would like to paint the exterior walls of your home, building or wall.
What to expect from a paint contractor doing exterior wall painting or damp proofing?
Paint contractors have the tools, expertise and labour to make sure the painting of the wall is done professionally and with good quality products. Assessment, preparation and implementation need to be completed in good weather conditions, before the summer rains.
Refresh Coatings has worked as a professional paint contractor painting exterior walls and boundary walls with the same crew for many years throughout Johannesburg. Contact us for a free quote for painting and damp proofing exterior walls of homes, offices, complexes and buildings in and around Johannesburg.
We coat and damp proof exterior walls of offices, complexes, industrial or commercial sites as well as houses and boundary walls.
