Painting a weatherboard house - difficult for a complete DIY novice??

[Shane D]

Kiwi property investors are hardcore DIYers in general. As I am a complete DIY novice, I would like to ask you guys a few questions

- How difficult is it for a novice to prepare and paint the exterior of a 1950s, 120sqm weatherboard house? (I have never painted anything before)
- How much time would I budget if putting in 6 - 8hr days?
- How much would the paint and preparation tools cost approx (120sqm weatherboard plus wooden frame windows)?
- If I paid a professional painter to do the job (good job, not slap-up job) how much would the whole job approx?

Thanks in advance guys.

Shane

[spaceman]

It's not difficult at all....it's not rocket science......doing a quality job is another question all together.....IMHO the prep work is most important and can easily take longer than the actual painting.

Time wise...too hard to guess, without seeing how much prep work there is to do, is scaffolding going to be needed?? etc.....just painting 3-4 days depending on how many fiddly bits there are.

Costs for tools and paint....depends....you going to buy cheap tools that are buggered after one house (a valid option, don't get me wrong) or quality tools that will last a life time....paint the same cheap imported stuff or quality eco freindly home grown?????

Professional painter???......really how can you tell how good they'll be before hand..... a motivated amateur can easily do a better job than a slap-dash pro, but it's mighty hard to beat a good job from a pro painter.......price isn't a reliable guide to quality, get a recommendation from somebody you trust

LOLZ....I don't think I really answered any of your questions......sorry

Cheers
Spaceman

[Ahar]

Kiwi property investors are hardcore DIYers in general. As I am a complete DIY novice, I would like to ask you guys a few questions

- How difficult is it for a novice to prepare and paint the exterior of a 1950s, 120sqm weatherboard house? (I have never painted anything before)
- How much time would I budget if putting in 6 - 8hr days?
- How much would the paint and preparation tools cost approx (120sqm weatherboard plus wooden frame windows)?
- If I paid a professional painter to do the job (good job, not slap-up job) how much would the whole job approx?

Thanks in advance guys.

Shane

I've done a lot of painting in my time....BUT it has been all interior work....until I painted one of my rentals....had help from an experienced painter and learned heaps.

Firstly it's not difficult.....BUT you do need to know a few things.....e.g......

• The most important step is the prep.....and it takes the longer than painting
• You need to have the house properly washed.....I water blasted BUT found going over the house with a wetted soft broom THEN water blasting was a lot more effective than just water blasting......it really shifts the dirt and is quicker too
• I think we gave the boards a very light rub down with sandpaper before painting....this is to just "cut" the surface and to give the new paint something to adhere to
• DON"T paint if the boards are wet.....you'll end up with bubbles when the heat hits the wet pockets and the water evaporates thus expanding.....dry them of first.
• likewise don't paint in the sun.....the paint starts to dry and the brush "drags"....not a good finish
• Mind the drips......you really need to keep your wits about you.....they'll sneak up on you
• I think you do the windows first....minimises drips etc onto the boards....but check the order of work with a paint supplier

You could get an experienced labourer/painter to help.......you being the "boy" so to speak

[Petals]

Don't forget the sealants for the joins.........and do let it dry properley before painting over it.

[Shane D]

Thanks Team, I really apreciate the replies. What I gleaned from your experiences and answers

Spaceman, Ahar, Petals gems of advice
- Even a newbie like myself could do it as painting is not difficult
- The secret is in the preparations. On a good job you will spend more timing prepping than actually painting
- Consider buying decent tools that will last more than 1 house
- As part of prep work brush clean down house then waterblast
- Weather conditions are paramount to final result. Don't paint of its too wet or too hot.
- Seal joints before painting

Your replies brings up a few more questions. It would be great if you can clarify further
- Do I need professional scaffolding if its a flat section with traditional single story 1950 bunglow I will be painting? If not hiring scaffolding then what is the altnerative? 2 ladders with a plank of wood in between?

- I understand one needs to prep the weatherboards first. I thought I have to get a sanding machine and sand off all the old paint on the boards and window frames. But Ahar is saying just give them a light rub down before painting. My question - wouldn't giving the boards and window frmaes a good though sanding give a better final paint job overall?

- Sealant - What sealant does one use and where? Do you mean on cracks on the weatherboards or what?

- Anybody want to take a rough guess at the price a GOOD repuatable painter would charge to do the job?

Shane

[Petals]

i dont know how to explain it using the proper lingo.........but its where timber meets timber (excluding the horizontal weatherboard overlaps).........they are in the painting section at the hardware store......personally use no more gaps. Get the right one for the right purpose.....in your case a general exterior one should be fine.

[essence]

No matter how fit you are - expect to be shattered at the end of every day you're painting!!

Re scaffolding - one can hire scaffolding from Hirequip etc and it's surprisingly inexpensive. Hire the system that comes with lockable wheels on the bottom. This makes it easier to move around the dwelling as you work and also gives you peace mind that it's not going to roll.

Make sure you're organised BEFORE you climb the scaffolding. There's nothing worse than getting up and realising that you've left a vital piece of equipment down on the ground. Means you've got to climb down again, the first couple of times is okay but by the end of the day, those extra climb up/downs will take their toll.

Agree with others, preparation is key and yes, you will probably spend more time doing prep-work than painting but in the end it's worth it.

Good luck and don't forget to update us when you've finished.

[Kaye]

expect to be shattered at the end of every day you're painting!! Yes Essence is dead right you'll find muscles you don't know you have trust us!

[hawkeye]

Red devil is good for filling gaps (it is very light and dries quickly and you can sand it very easily.) If you use a sanding machine be extremely careful not to let it sand off the bevel at the bottom of the boards or it will look awful. Be careful if waterblasting that you don't gouge the boards. Use a anti mould product to clean especially on the shady side. Personally I would hand sand and do a section at a time to completion. Preparation is key! Be careful to make each board as smooth as possible as the paint will fail first if there are cracks and blemishes- that is where the water will sit. Make sure you are applying the paint thick enough- If it is spread thinner than recommended it won't last as long. A primer that I recommend if surfaces aren't perfect is Binns. It is meths based and clings to everything so well it is hard to remove from anything. It is really expensive and brushes are hard to clean though so probably best for patching rather than over all boards.

I have only had one great experience with professional painters. Every other time I have used a professional the job has only lasted a few years before it begins to fail.

[Wayne]

expect to be shattered at the end of every day you're painting!! Yes Essence is dead right you'll find muscles you don't know you have trust us!

But it's good for you! Sanding back to wood will take a long, long time and isn't worth it IMHO. Ensure you sand loose paint - use a carbide scraper. If it won't scrap off it won't come off - you aren't looking for a mirror smooth finish - noone will notice. I have found over the years with painting and building that the pro knows what they can fudge without ill effect!

[Eugene]

Check for lead, kits are cheap and widely available and test takes moments.
I have painted a weatherboard house, my PPOR at the time, and prepared thoroughly, so speak from experience. If you are young and have the time and are short of cash, it could be worth doing. These days I would hire a professional painter. Ask around if you decide to hire a painter, some are wonderful, quick, thorough and reasonably priced, others not so. Quotes can vary hugely.

[donnyboy]

one point that may been totally missed here, takes ages for paint to cure in winter, and humid environments, so you might want to wait till its drier and hotter.

[Shane D]

Thanks everyone for your input. Some good tips for sure such as hire some scaffolding and hand sand. Sanding back just enoough to remove old loose paint. Then fill in the gaps. Great indepth painting tips from hawkeye. Thanks man.

Shane

[Fenix]

Go on, give it a go!

That's what I did. I'm lucky in the fact that my parents run a sandblasting and spraypainting company so I had access to tools, and paints at discounted prices as well as some H-Frame scaffolding which comes with the lock-able wheels which I would highly recommend.

I didn't have a lot of time before I had to move overseas so I used Paul from hire-a-hubby in Whangarei to help me as I was painting at least 2/3rds of the weatherboard on my old Villa. I wanted someone to get ideas and tips from, as well as motivation to actually do what needs to be done. I definately recommend him. Works hard, gives a decent rate and listens to what you actually want to achieve.

If I were you I would do the proper washdown, get a linbide scraper and scrape the loose paint, then get an orbital sander and take off the top edge. Wash down again. Primer any bare wood or alternate colours exposed. Cloudy days are the best and try to paint then if you can. Dulux x10 weather shield is pretty good, it's nice and thick and you can get away with just two coats. I didn't want a ten year pro job as it would be way too expensive, with the time it takes to fill in all the imperfections and take down to bare wood - but I have old rough native weatherboard anyway and want to keep it how it is.

The house looked a millions times better for it.

[skid]

Linbide scrapers are good--Random orbital sanders are the best[you will will be ages trying to hand sand]but be careful if your weatherboards are cedar as its soft timber.
It may not seem like it but ,there are a thousand things to take into consideration when painting a house if you are new to it[lots of them are small things to make the job easier]
If your near anywhere near Mt Eden PM me and I can point you in the right direction for when spring comes.