How to Prepare and Paint Weatherboard

Painting the outside of the house requires plenty of time and elbow grease so it pays to do it right the first time.

Paint won’t adhere to dirty or ?aky surfaces so make sure walls are clean and smooth before picking up a brush.

Factor in preparation time when planning and work from the top down to avoid dirtying cleaned surfaces.

Always allow time for repairs to dry or cure, leaving ?nishes such as new sand and cement-based render for 30 days.

Cleaning the surfaces

A pressure washer is effective for removing loose paint and built-up grime. It’s a good investment for general home maintenance but use it carefully around windows because it can break glass.

Avoid directing water up under the eaves and keep the nozzle 500mm away from the surface. Always start with a low pressure and test a small section prior to full-scale cleaning.

Pressure washers must be used with safety in mind. Never operate one while standing on a ladder as the force can make you lose your footing.

TIP – Alternatively scrub surfaces with a stiff brush on a pole using a bucket of water mixed with liquid sugar soap or mild detergent, rinsing thoroughly with clean water via a hose.

Preparing Weatherboard

Weatherboard is the outside cladding of a house comprising long, thin timber boards that run vertically or horizontally and either overlap or ?t together with a tongue and groove joint.

Traditionally weatherboards are made from timbers such as cedar, cypress or baltic pine but more recently they are available in H3 LOSP ?nger-jointed clear grade pine and composite materials.

It’s worth keeping weatherboards in good condition as preparation for painting can be a time consuming and dif? cult task, particularly if the old paint has been left too long and has started ?aking.

It’s possible to use a power sander on boards with ?at pro?les but boards with curved pro?les require hand sanding using ?exible sanding sponges, making it a tough and laborious job if there’s a lot to do.Keep weatherboards in good condition for easy repainting.

How to prepare the weatherboard

  • PREPARE THE SURFACES by scraping and sanding away any ?aking paint, removing rusty or protruding nails and replacing them with galvanised nails positioned 10mm from the original holes.
  • PATCH DAMAGE by removing paint from around the area then over?lling slightly with an epoxy two-part ?ller and leaving to dry. Smooth with 80 then 180 grit abrasive paper, priming any bare areas of timber.
  • FILL THE NAIL HOLES and splits or gaps around window and door jambs using a caulking gun with a paintable, ?exible gap sealant.

TIP Old caulk loses elasticity so dig it out and re?ll to weatherproof.

How to Prepare and Paint Weatherboard

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