Repainting our kitchen
Preparing a Rendered Wall for Painting
Leonard Davis
Rendered walls give a beautiful, sleek appearance to the exterior of a home. Depending on the overall style of home, it can either make it look ultra-modern, exotic, or classic European – but certainly attractive, in any case.
One of the major benefits of render is that it's easier to paint than plain brickwork, and it looks fantastic with a bit of colour. Whether you go for subtle greys or pastels or more daring bright colours, there can be few better ways to totally transform your home's exterior than to give the rendering a coat of paint.
Before you begin the process of actually painting, make sure you prepare the render properly by following these steps.
Prepare the surface
Before you do anything else, check the condition of the render to make sure it doesn't need any repairs. Some damage might be obvious, particularly if there are bits of render missing, but also look for any fine cracks that could become worse underneath the paintwork. Don't assume anything you find won't get worse; get it repaired or replaced or you'll regret it in the future.
You also need to remove any previous paint and make sure there are no chips remaining.
Remove any plant growth
Clumps of moss are usually quite easy to remove, but lichen and some fungi and moulds are not so straightforward. Use a fungicide on the whole surface to get rid of any stubborn growth and to stop it returning or spreading, and wait for it to completely dry before you proceed.
Clean thoroughly
Mix up some soap and water and get scrubbing. Use a combination of a stiff brush and a cloth to make sure you get all the dirt off the render and leave the surface clean. When you've cleaned the whole wall, repeat the process to make sure no dirt remains; you might want to wait a day before doing this if it seems like a huge task.
Check and dust
Leave the wall to dry completely before you begin painting. This can take longer than you expect, so wait at least 24 hours, or as long as 48 in colder weather. When it's dry, you need to ensure there's no dust or other loose debris left on the wall, as the paint won't adhere so well. A long-handled broom works well for this. Move along the wall, brushing in a downward direction, and be thorough, trying to avoid letting dust build up on the bristles.
If this isn't something you're comfortable handling on your own, reach out to professional painters.
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When we moved into our house the kitchen was a bit yucky. The wall and ceiling around the oven had turned yellow-brown from years of cooking smells, and there was splattered oil all over the walls. It made the whole room feeling uninviting. As soon as we moved in I knew what I had to do: we scrubbed down the walls and repainted the whole room with new white paint. It was such a simple change with a dramatic impact. This blog is all about changing the mood of a room with a new coat of paint and how you can achieve the same effect.