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| Choosing Masonry Paint |
| The right stuff for your walls. |
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The owners of this heritage-listed 1880's sandstone house have had some difficulty finding the right paint product to use on their exterior walls. Each company approached offered different advice, but none seemed to offer what was for these owners a priority, durability and a quality finish.
Steve Wiseman, a painter with over 10 years experience, was enlisted to work through the maze of products on the market and find the right paint for the home, which over the years has been painted so many times that the sandstone blocks are no longer defined. The wall currently has uneven patches in places and is a dark burgundy colour.
Choosing the Right Paint
The advantages of using Murowash paint for this job are that it achieves a very soft, flat lime wash finish and is guaranteed to last about 10 years. According to Steve, this means you should get about 15 years of use out of it. The manufacturers, Murobond, will make up any desired colour blend.
One option considered by the owners was a limewash, rejected because the lime in the paint continues to react to weather over time. It also ages very quickly and streaks easily when applying. They also considered acrylic paints but these only last around 5 years.
Murowash is polymer-based and easier to apply than a cement based paint. It provides excellent coverage on imperfect surfaces. Murowash does not discolour when wet, and protects against sunlight and salt. It's flexible enough to be applied to timber and all masonary surfaces.
The Process
1
The first step was to remove the old paint from the wall, using tungsten steel scrapers and grinders. Steve estimates that they found about 10 previous layers of paint underneath.
2
A grinder was then used to re-groove the old joints between the sandstone blocks. This returned the exterior appearance to its original condition, before years of painting took their toll.
3
Grano Patch, a plaster product from Granosite, was then trowelled on. This was used to provide a smooth surface for the paint to stick to, and to fill in some minor imperfections in the sandstone. While the plaster was still wet, a grinder was once again used to carve out the grooves in between each sandstone block. With the plaster dry, the whole wall was sanded, using orbital sanders.
4
Once again, a groove-grinding process was undertaken between each block and the wall given a final sanding.
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The wall was then painted with an undercoat of Murobond primer and two final coats of Murowash.
Paint Tips
1
Use sample pots to try out and test the colour on your wall first.
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Paint from the top of the wall to the bottom. This ensures that you don't damage the drying finish as you work.
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Spending time on preparation reflects in the quality of the finished work.
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Cost
Around $30,000 for the complete job.
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More Info
Steve Wiseman operates Painting Wise, contact him on,
Ph: (02) 9999 3892 or Mob: 0414 979 745.
For more information on Murobond products, Ph: (02) 9906 7299.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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