Advice on an Exterior house painting job??

[docburgess]

Hi,

My house (1920's semi) is in need of a bit of TLC. The exterior boards need painting on the front, side and back and also a side window. A lot of the paint is peeling off and some wood is exposed.

I have a few painters and decorators coming out, but would like to know what kind of questions to ask as I have ZERO experience.

Also, what kind of cost am I looking at for such a job???

Pictures should be attached.

Untitled

• docburgess
• 26 Aug 2011
• 1

Untitled

• docburgess
• 26 Aug 2011
• 1

Untitled

• docburgess
• 26 Aug 2011
• 1

 

[dcdec]

It would be really unfair on the guys coming round to quote to give you a guess on price as it is impossible to do so from a few photos.

Talk to the guys and ask them how they'd tackle it, what paint system they'd use?, would they strip off the flaking paint? Access equipment?

Report back on what they say and we may be able to give you some feedback.

Be sure to get at least three quotes, as usually one will be ridiculously cheap (steer clear), one really expensive and hopefully you'll get one thats on the money.

The big temptation for a cowboy will be to throw the paint over the top, all the loose stuff must be stripped and primed before continuing.

Lastly avoid the Polish.

 

[misterhelpful]

Lastly avoid the Polish.

Absolutely, paint won't stick to polish!!

In all seriousness though, dcdec is spot on when it comes to advising on price - there are so many variables and the photos may not paint the whole picture. Some decorators would be willing to work from a ladder, whereas others will insist on scaffolding or some other access platform due to health and safety - this will also affect pricing. The most awkward bit is the gable end where the ?garage? could be a hinderance.

I also agree that the paint needs to be removed and I would personally prefer to remove it all from the facing timbers and start again - the soffits may be less flaky and only require a good rub down. The vertical timbers on the dormer face appear to be starting to rot at the joints but this might not be the case. If it is, query how it will be repaired or whether it is necessary for replacements. The masonry seems sound and should only require a brush down before painting.

All decorators have their own preferences when it comes to paint systems but will usually use a good brand - be wary of anyone who suggests using DIY stores cheap own brand paints.

 

[TheDec]

Thats very good advice from dcdec, I think you should try if you can to ascertain how the Decorator will approach the work and also what type of paints he will recommend. Then again as dcdec as mentioned post back and let us know.

Dec

 

[docburgess]

Thanks for your extremely useful inputs so far.

In terms of paint, what products work best?

Also, misterhelpful, you have found where the extra cost could be, as the gable end has a garage and a small passageway, which isn't wide enough for a ladder so will need scaffolding. However, another idea is to remove the garage roof to allow a ladder - but I think maybe a scaffold will be safer and allow the painter to sort out the flaky paint safely.

 

[Growler]

The best advice I can give you is ..

practice fire safety - watch what you heat.

 

[joe-90]

I don't think I agree with the others.

If you are going to pay a grand on scaffolding don't muck about with all that rotting timber. Pull it all off and renew with timber then use a microporous stain or renew with PVC.

To strip and paint with a three layer paint system you are looking at a couple of grand (inc scaffold).

To renew the lot - about £500-600 extra.

If you paint that old timber it won't last. Old timber can't handle any paint system.

If you really want to paint it - then scrape and sand it. Spot prime then use Crown Solo One coat. Cost about £300 working off a ladder. You can redo it same way every 3 or 4 years so a grand would give you about 12 years worth of protection. The middle route is a false economy.

To recap - either renew the lot or just give it a whiz it over every three years. Scaffold, strip and repaint - waste of money.

 

[docburgess]

joe-90, I have considered ripping it all out and replacing with pvc back boards, sofits etc. Only last week I had a quote for the job and was quoted £3900, with black and white as it is at the moment, with painted render at front. This also included new gutters, sofits, barge boards and a 30 year guarantee.

All the above seems the easiest, hassle free way forward but my only concern is a loss of character to the property as it is a nice 1920's property.

Would PVC reduce the general curb appeal? I'm just a bit unsure?[/quote]

 

[joe-90]

I'm no fan of plastic but it's what the average punter out there wants.

You can replace it with timber if you want, and if it were my house I probably would but if I intended to sell it later - then I'd have to go for PVC.

Just don't waste big money on a paint job on old timber.

 

[misterhelpful]

I wouldn't go down the garage roof removal route as you will probably end up causing a leak at some point which will only set you back more money.

joe-90 makes some very good points:
Paying for full scaffolding around the entire house would be a big outlay and somewhat of a false economy. If you could find a decorator that has their own scaffold tower and is willing to work from a ladder then you would only need scaffolding for the gable end, assuming the back is easily accessible.
UPVC would be better in the long run but I would prefer to keep the property's character with timber and I think that any cladding on the front face of the dormer roof would look awful - the eaves and guttering wouldn't look bad though. The exposed purlins would also look odd clad in UPVC, so would probably need to be left as they are, which would mean repainting them every few years anyway.
Also, renewing the timber and using a microporous stain would mean only a single maintenance coat when necessary.

The middle route, as joe put it, would only be viable if there was no huge outlay required for scaffolding.

Obviously, these are matters of personal preference and I would stick with painting what you have, providing the timber is not too far gone.

 

[dcdec]

I guess it would take a lot of Mr sheen to do that Mr H!

All the above comments are the exact reason why its so hard to give you any ideas about pricing.
Some good points raised about replacing timbers, its gonna come down to condition and budget at the end of the day, so your going to have to have a chat with the guys doing the quotes and work out some options. They will also be sensible to give you an estimate of cost rather than a solid quote as there will have to be some close up investigation done to decide which way to proceed.
Personally i'd rather see new timbers go in rather than plastic, but i'm a bit of a traditionalist and would recommend you let your head rule your heart!
Good luck anyway.

 

[joe-90]

Personally i'd rather see new timbers go in rather than plastic, but i'm a bit of a traditionalist and would recommend you let your head rule your heart!
Good luck anyway.

You and me both.