Building a Concrete Block Retaining Wall

1. Tools 2. Preparation

• Paint hooks
• Medium scraper or flat knife
• Curved putty knife
• Hammer
• Sandpaper
• Scraper
• Hot air gun
• Bucket
• Rubber gloves

• Flat filling and stripping scrapers
• Brushes
• Roller, tray and appropriate sleeves
• Paint pads and tray
• Drop sheets
• Masking tape
• Step ladder
• Trestles and planks

Washing Exterior Surfaces

Water blasting the exterior timber is not advisable as it can damage softer timbers and force water into the fibres, resulting in the possibility of cracked and warped surfaces.

Wash the exterior surfaces with sugar soap to remove the contaminants and flush with plenty of fresh water. It is advisable to wash small areas at a time to avoid the wash solution drying which then makes it difficult to remove.

Mould can be a major issue with some houses, especially on the southern side of the house. This should be treated with the appropriate mould remover/killer prior to preparation.

Check Existing Paint

Loose, flaking and cracked paint should be completely removed to avoid adhesion problems later in the paint’s life. Check all areas of the paint work for peeling. A simple test to check for adhesion is to put an X cut in the paint work with a sharp knife. Put a piece of sticky tape over the cut, sticking down well, and pull the tape off. If any paint comes off then the area will have to be stripped back to a sound surface.

A) Check to see if your old paint is in good condition by making several cuts with a sharp knife or razor blade.

B) Press a piece of strong adhesive tape across the area and peel it off.

C) If the paint comes off with the tape, the surface should be stripped, sanded or scraped back to bare wood if possible.

Sanding and Filling

Sand the surface well, this helps the new paint to adhere.

Any nails that have been exposed should be punched below the surface and it is advisable to prime with an anti-corrosive metal primer to avoid rust staining. This is also advisable if you have sanded any metal soakers (timber jointers) or any other steel surfaces prone to rust. If rust is evident, wire brush to remove as much rust as possible and treat with a metal prep prior to priming with your anticorrosive metal primer. All holes should be filled with appropriate exterior filler, then sanded when dry and primed/undercoated.

If there is any possibility of the tannin timber treatment bleeding through light coloured acrylic finishes, it is advisable to prime using an oil-based wood primer.

Fibre-cement or concrete finishes should be washed with an appropriate cleaner prior to repainting with your 100% acrylic finish. A minimum of 2 coats is required.

Window Frames

Window frames that have had the putty dry and fall out should be reputtied. Remove all the old putty and clean the surface well so it’s free from contaminants. Prime the surface with oil-based wood primer and allow to dry. Once this has dried you can apply new putty, which should be left for approximately 3 weeks prior to painting. The reason for priming prior to applying the putty is that the oil in the putty will absorb into the woodwork, and the putty will dry out and fall out again.

Roofs

Most roofs will have some corrosion to deal with. Avoid water blasting, and make sure the surface is sound with no rust present. Wash the roof down with sugar soap, covering a small area at a time, and then flush off with fresh water until all areas are clean and free from contaminants. If there is rust, sand the affected areas and treat with the appropriate kill rust primer. Prime any bare areas with Galvanised Iron Primer and once dry, apply two finish coats of roof paint (minimum 2 hours between coats at 20°C and 65% humidity).

With the amount of work involved in preparing the exterior for painting, it is recommended that you purchase the best possible product for the job to avoid disappointment later when the ‘cheaper’ paint starts to fail. Refer to our Know How brochures Selecting the Right Roller, Selecting the Right Brush and Choosing the Right Paint to help you get the best result.

Once you have chosen your final colour, purchase all the paint at the same time and box (mix) all the containers of the same colour together to eliminate the colour variation that can occur within paints.

Paint System

The final topcoat that provides the perfect colour and finish is only part of a system of paints and preparations working as a team. Some paints are a simple system comprising two or three coats of the same paint. Paint intended for bare woodwork or metalwork often needs a more complex system, using paints with different qualities.

Check with your local PlaceMakers and/or consult paint manufacturer’s brochures to select the right system for your needs.

Read the Label

The paint can label holds vital information about how to apply the paint, as well as which undercoats and primers are compatible. Read it carefully and follow the instructions exactly. If you want clarification, ask PlaceMakers.

Before starting, check the weather. Avoid painting in both very hot (more than 27˚C) or very cold (less than 10˚C) conditions. Fog or dusty conditions should also be avoided. Plan to finish painting at least two hours before sundown. Dew fall, as well as rain, can damage the paint.

Painting Sequence

As a general rule, the parts of the house should be painted in this order:

1. Roof. Apply the necessary primers or undercoats as directed by the instructions on the can for the finishing coat. Paint all the ridge, hip and valley flashings by brush and then fill the large areas with a roller for corrugated steel. Check the paint around nail and screw heads and touch up by brush where necessary.

2. Eaves and verandah ceilings soffits. Paint all the barge and fascia boards and then the soffits. If your spouting is snapfastened PVC, removing the spouting can make painting the fascia much easier.

3. Walls. Start at the highest point and paint the full length of the wall. Work down the wall, painting in wide vertical strips making sure you brush back into the wet edge of the previous strip. Then go back to the top and lightly run over the newly painted area with your brush to ensure even coverage and a smooth finish. For weatherboards, start at the top of the wall. Paint one or two boards at a time. Paint the under edge first, then the face of the boards working across then down.

4. Windows. Either cut in around the glass with a cutting in brush, or mask the glass.

5. Doors. Paint the edges first then apply paint to the face of the door, starting at the top. If the door has a moulding, paint the moulding first then do the remainder of the panels. If the door has a threshold, do that last.