I want to paint the outside walls of my spanish house. Advice?

A visitor to our site asked us a decorating question, so here it is, with our answer back.

I am interested in painting my house using masonry paint. I need to know how clean the walls need to be before painting and if I need a primer.

From: “J”: Spain

AND WE REPLIED………..
Hi and thanks for your email.

I am not sure how you came to contact us (!) as we are a service provider (we paint peoples houses for them). We will post this on our blog to see if anyone else can help you with advice, but in the mean time, here is our advice, in brief.

1) Normal masonry paint will only last a couple of years maximum, and in Spain, the heat and sun will break the paint down ever quicker than in the UK, so maybe it will last only one year.

2) Preparation is the key ingredient to any successful paint job, so yes the walls must be clean: This means no flaky paint or flaking plaster, no open cracks, no loose patches of render and all mould, grime and dirt must be removed prior to painting.

3) If the wall is in poor condition, a stabilising primer should be used.

4) For the best finish you should always paint 2 coats. In Spain , paint companies seem to recommend that you paint the walls first with a diluted mix of the paint, allow to dry and then over coat with the normal masonry paint.

5) There is of course an art and a skill in itself and this answer could go on much further, but as i said, we are not in the business in most cases of giving out free advice, however I am happy to help you on this occasion.

If you are still baffled by our advice I would probably suggest that you get a professional painter and decorator in to paint the walls of your house and not to try it yourself unless you know what you are doing!
I Hope this has been of help to you, please stay in touch and let us know how you get on.
Kind regards
Guy Alexander Bell. Bsc.(Hons)
Surveyor
www.neverpaintagain.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE IS ANOTHER GENUINE QUESTION, FROM A GENUINE SITE USER.

If you are online looking for quotes and come across the latest people to copy us (!) exterior coating companies who have started a wall coatings blog -Oooh I wonder where they got THAT idea from eh?!-, pls be careful of “planted” comments and advice dreamt up by the owners, to look more established than they really are.

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