Painting an exterior wall

[GeoffLeopard]

The outside brick of our property was re-pointed a while ago and we need to paint over the old peeling paint job (front and back of the house). I want to have a stab at it. Has anyone done this and is it hard?

[Itscoldouthere]

You will need to get all the pealing flaking paint off first, probably by rubbing down with a wire brush.

Then you need to paint with a proper exterior masonry paint, lots of people make it and it comes in most colours. Be aware that any painted masonry will need to be reprinted every few years to stay looking good.

It's easy to paint but you will need to use a brush to get in all the joins,cracks etc.

[Kneedles]

And paint on a coat of stabilising solution first.

[GeoffLeopard]

Ooo this is all news to me... So thanks very much for the advice Itscold and Kneedles! Just what I was after xxx

[bunchoffives]

I've done it and still have flashbacks of going up a ladder to gutter height. But the painting itself was a doddle.

[GeoffLeopard]

Ha yes bunchoffives that would terrify me too. It's only halfway up the wall else it'd be staying as is. Well done to you though, I bet the job satisfaction is immense!

[MummytoMog]

We have a whole extension to paint :( I am scared of heights, so DH has manfully offered to do the top half while I do the bottom. We were going to use Wickes Masonry paint, and we're expecting to do two coats at least. Sigh. We're also going to repaint the front, which is old painted render. Our intention was to steel brush first, then overpaint. I hadn't heard of stabilising solution, any suggestions?

[PigletJohn]

I haven't used stabilising solution for years. You need it if you have a friable, dusty or crumbly surface, especially lime render, although if it's that bad it may be going to fall off. Certainly never put PVA on any surface that you hope one day to paint, or the paint will fall off.

As a rule of thumb paint that is adhering firmly and wont easily brush or scrape off, is firm enough to paint over.

Apply one, or preferably two, mist coats of the paint well-thinned with water and very thoroughly stirred. It will soak in and disappear. You will know when you have applied enough to kill the suction, because the wall will no longer suck your brush dry. Then you can apply unthinned paint.

[MummytoMog]

This is brand new render. Not lime, sort of a brown cementy sand colour. I may experiment at the back of the house with mist coats.

[PigletJohn]

then it will (almost) certainly be sand and cement, hard, so should not need stabilising solution. I imagine it was trowelled flat and smooth with a metal float, so a broad metal scraper will take off flaky paint. Wire brush will rough up the surface.

I wonder why the old paint is peeling? Done well, it can last 15 years.

Is the brickwork above or below the render?