How to paint a masonry walls
Got an old masonry wall that's chipped and flaky? Painting the exterior walls of your house can give your home a new lease of life. Not painted a masonry wall before or need a refresher? With our step by step guide you'll be well prepped to painting a masonry wall.
Tools required:
- Eye protection
- Dust masks
- Gloves
- Scraper
- Filling knife
- Sander
- Sealer
- Primer
- Masonry brush/roller
- Masonry paint
How to prep exterior walls for painting
Like with most DIY jobs it's important to prep your work area before starting. Before you start the prep work be sure that you have the right PPE; gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask. Treat any patches of mould or algae using fungicidal wash, scrape of any paint that is flaking or peeling away using a scraper, then with a stiff bristle hand brush remove any dirt or debris. Repeat if neccessary until the wall is clean. Once you've done this you'll need to wash the wall using diluted household detergent to remove any stains and then rinse of with clean water.
Repairing small cracks
Use an extrior wall filler to repair any small cracks or small areas where the render is damaged. You can get ready made fillers like this all purpose filler or this instant filler by Everbuild. You can can also get powdered fillers that you can mix yourself. When filling any cracks make sure the area if free from any debris and dampen the area. Mix the filler until smooth then apply it using a filling knife and then smooth over with a wet filling knife and let it dry. Once the filler has dried sand it down and remove any debris.
Seal, prime & paint
Most masonry is porous, which means you'll need to seal it using a sealer and allow for it to dry completely before applying the primer. If you are painting a wall that was painted then you don't need to do this. When the sealer has dried you can then move onto priming the wall, like with the sealer you'll need to make sure the primer is completely dry before applying the paint. Now that you've sealed and primed the wall you are ready to paint. Apply the paint using a specialist masonry paint brush or roller. We have a selection of outdoor masonry paints such as the Dulux Trade Weathershield masonry paint range, the Sandtex trade masonry paint range or the Rustins masonry paint range. Our Dulux Trade Weathershield masonry paint range helps protect the walls from weather damage, as well as mould and algae growth.