If the outside of your home, office or building have seen better days, it could be time to invest in a bit of a paint job.
However, before you dive right into buying the first tin of paint that takes your fancy, it’s important to carefully consider a few things in advance.
From the type of paint job you are trying to achieve to whether you can even do it yourself, join us as we run through some of the key questions you’ll need to ask yourself before deciding to paint the outside of your property.
Do you have permission?
If you live in a listed building, a share of freehold or leasehold flat, you will need to check the rules around whether you are permitted to make changes to the exterior of your property.
Generally speaking, most commercial and residential properties won’t need permission for you to make exterior changes to your house.
However, if you’re not sure what the rules are before getting started, it’s important to double check in advance, even if you only think you’re making fairly small, insignificant alterations.
Do you have the right equipment?
Painting the exterior of your property may sound fairly straightforward in principle but, in reality, it can be anything but.
As such, it’s imperative to have the correct equipment in place before you get started, otherwise you could end up putting a lot more than just your personal safety at risk.
The right equipment will vary depending on the type of property you are looking to paint but, generally speaking, you will need a high-quality ladder, personal protective equipment, dust sheets, a variety of paintbrushes, paint rollers, masking tape and, of course, the paint as the very basics.
For high-rise buildings like flats, hotels or offices, you will also likely need to hire a cherry picker in order to work at height in as safe a manner as possible.
Do you have the right paint?
Again, depending on the type of property you are looking to repaint, it can be difficult to know which is the right paint for your needs.
After all, exterior paint is not the same as interior paint – not only does it have the job of making your house look good, but it also needs to offer a level of protection and waterproofing to the substrate of the walls. As such, the type of paint you choose will vary depending on how exposed to the elements your walls are.
Similarly, the paint you choose will affect the finish you are able to achieve, with different surfaces (i.e. render, cladding, cement, stone and brick) giving different results.
Generally speaking, a masonry paint will be the best choice, due the range of smooth and textured finishes it often comes available in.
Final thoughts…
Repainting the outside of your property can often end up being a much bigger job than many people think. So, why not take the stress out of it by hiring a professional instead?
Here at MC Property Maintenance, we have a specialist team of painters and decorators ready and waiting to make light work of your painting needs.
To find out more about these services, or to ask us any queries you might have, please do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest opportunity.