How to paint exterior surfaces

Choose a warm, dry day with little wind that has followed a good spell of dry weather.

Work in small manageable areas, beginning at the top of the house cleaning and repairing as you go. Use a suitable masonry cleaner with a stiff brush to remove any dirt, loose masonry or old flaky paint. Repair with a suitable exterior filler, rubbing down after with a fine abrasive until flush with the surface.

Make repairs to exterior woodwork, rub down with a fine abrasive where paintwork is in good enough condition to create a surface which new paint can adhere to. Strip back fully to bare wood where paint or woodwork is damaged or old. Strip back with a heavy abrasive or paint scraping tool and chemical stripper.

If existing paint is sound then wash and dry off before re-painting. If, however, several layers of old paint exist, stripping back fully will achieve a better finish. Use a chemical stripper and wire wool to remove the old paint.

Clean down the stripped metal with a wire brush and white spirit prior to painting.

Use a specialist exterior/masonry paint and use a masonry roller or wall brush to achieve a good finish.