Painting exterior masonry
Space solves
Painting exterior masonry
The Guardian, Saturday 12 December 2009
What’s the best way to paint exterior masonry so that it stays white for as long as possible? Do so-called ‘self-cleaning’ paints work?
“The jury is still out on self-cleaning paints because they haven’t been around long enough,” says DIY expert Julian Cassell, “but if you use traditional paints correctly, you’ll have no problem. Preparation is vital, as ever – remove flaky paint with a wire brush; apply a fungicidal wash (about £15 for five litres, from Dulux Decorator Centres) and leave for 24 hours; wash with a pressure washer, then apply stabilising solution to any powdery areas (u-diy.co.uk has Dulux stabilising primer at £16.99 for 2.5 litres). Apply two coats of masonry paint: Dulux Weathershield is tried and tested (about £20 for five litres for water-based masonry paint).”
