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Like many things in life, preparation is the key to success. So there’s no surprise there are important steps to take when preparing to paint the exterior of your home.
Haymes Paint has been in the paint game for more than 80 years and has pulled together its best tips and tricks to ensure you have the best chance at success the first time around. To achieve the perfect base, follow these five easy steps:
1. Determine the condition of your existing paint. To avoid blistering or flaking over time, it’s important to check the condition of your existing paint. Do this by cutting an "X" into the surface with a sharp knife or blade, press some masking tape firmly over the "X" and then pull it off in one swift motion. If any existing paint is stuck to the tape or lifts the edge of the “X”, then the surface is not a suitable base and will need to be removed by scraping or sanding it back.
2. Clean the surface. Thoroughly wash away any chalky residue, dirt, dust or mould from the surface as the presence of contaminants can cause loss of adhesion of the new paint. The easiest and most time effective way to clean a large area is by using a high pressure washer. Hosing the surface with a garden hose will not produce enough pressure to move the contaminants to ensure the surface is clean, so make sure you in invest in or hire a good quality pressure washer for this step.
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3. Sand. Using sandpaper to even out, smooth or remove existing paint from the surface is probably the most crucial step in preparing for a quality finish. Depending on the job, a medium coarse sandpaper with a grit level of between P80 and P180 will offer a good level of paint removal without destroying the underlying surface.
4. Check the forecast. When preparing to paint outdoors, the weather will play a vital in the outcome. By checking the weather forecast and planning your paint days around the forecast, you will thank yourself later. Stark, direct sunlight and extreme heat makes it very difficult to get an even application as the paint will dry very quickly. Very windy conditions will also cause the paint to dry too quickly and can deposit dust onto the surface. And rain will run your hard work straight off and extreme fog will hinder and prolong the drying process. The ideal forecast you’re looking for is a stretch of days with mild temperatures, minimal wind and moderate cloud cover.
5. Choose the right product. Much the same as choosing the best time to paint, it is essential to choose the right product. Finding a paint that will be to withstand everything the Australian weather throws at it is very important, we recommend using a high quality acrylic exterior paint such as Haymes Solashield as this is a specifically formulated exterior paint. As it is an acrylic base, it has a high UV resistance and will last longer than solvent based enamel paints.