Exterior painting built to last

Exterior paintwork is the first thing anyone sees and the first thing to give up. Sun bleaches the south elevation, driving rain finds every open joint on the west, and the north side grows algae. A repaint that ignores all that will look tired long before it should.

We treat exterior painting as a system rather than a tin of paint. The right primer for the substrate, the right number of coats, and a topcoat chosen for the surface it is actually going on — breathable masonry paint on render that needs to let moisture out, flexible coatings where hairline cracking is likely, and proper exterior-grade systems on timber that moves with the seasons.

Masonry and render

Walls are washed down, treated for organic growth, and any blown or cracked render cut out and made good. Chalky or previously unpainted surfaces get a stabilising primer so the topcoat has something to hold on to. Then two full coats of masonry paint, cut in properly around windows and downpipes rather than trimmed round with a small brush at the end.

Timber windows, doors and joinery

Timber is where exterior jobs are won or lost. Old flaking paint is taken back to a sound edge, bare wood is knotted and primed, joints and end grain are sealed, and putty or beading is made good before anything decorative happens. Front doors get particular care — they take the most weather and the most handling, and they are the detail people notice.

If a sill or frame has gone soft, painting over it only hides the problem for a season. We can cut the rot out and rebuild the section with a Repair Care resin system, which is cheaper and far less disruptive than replacing the window. See timber resin repairs.