YOUR HOME’S SUNSMART CHECKLIST
Experts’ top tips for painting and maintaining exteriors
WE’VE ALL CAUGHT on to the importance of being sunsmart when it comes to protecting ourselves and our skin from the heat of summer sun. But have you ever thought about the protection from the sun and weather your home’s painted “skin” needs to help it stay in top condition?
Resene paint experts Bryce McDermott and Jay Sharples offer their tips and advice on the best ways to protect and preserve painted and stained surfaces around your home and bach so they come through summer looking their best.
Wash paint for a longer-lasting finish
Bryce: Paintwork should be gently washed down at least once a year to remove surface contamination, dirt and dust. Use Resene Paint Prep and Housewash, washing it off glass or aluminium while it’s still wet as it can etch certain surfaces. This will increase your paint’s lifespan.
Jay: The more often you clean and remove contaminants from the surface of the substrate the longer the coatings will last. Use slow-acting cleaners like Resene Deep Clean use two or three times a year to keep things looking good and faster-acting cleaners like Resene Moss & Mould Killer, Resene Paint Prep and Housewash, Resene Bio-Cleaner, Resene Heavy Duty Paint Prep and Oil Remover at the start of summer or whenever you want an instant clean.
Extend the life of your wood stain
Bryce: Stains won’t last as long as paint, particularly in coastal conditions. We recommend a maintenance coat every two summers especially on exposed areas. Wash with Resene Timber and Deck Wash before you start to remove the old decayed stain and open the timber fibres so the wood takes the stain more readily. When re-staining, use the same stain already on the wood as some different stains are not compatible. Consider covering outdoor furniture when it’s not in use with good airflow so it doesn’t get mouldy. Leaving it exposed to the elements will shorten its life.
Jay: Different products have different recommendations for how often you need to recoat times and to maintain them. We recommend you recoat Resene Woodsman natural wood stain range recommendation every couple of years, depending on the condition, location and environment. That might mean one maintenance coat or two or three coats, depending on if you keep up with regular maintenance or leave it longer. If you do the maintenance regularly, it can be quite quick to do.
Tips for coastal areas
Bryce: The best thing you can do in coastal areas is to wash down exposed surfaces on a regular basis to remove salt deposits, although this can be trickier if the house is on tank water. If water is limited, focus the most attention on the side that is most prone to the salt. Metal brackets, nails and clips may rust very quickly so replace badly corroded items with new stainless-steel items. Stains need more frequent recoating in coastal conditions.
Jay: Regular clearing is key to remove surface contaminants. Windblown salts can travel 25km inland, so a lot of the country could almost be considered coastal. If you’re within 300m of the sea, aim to clean your home’s exterior twice a year. Stick to the recommended spreading rate (found on the label of your Resene paint) when painting to ensure enough product is applied.
Sun protection for painted surfaces
Bryce: Wash down when you can in cooler parts of the day but pay particular attention to timber areas that can warp under moisture followed by extreme heat. Maintain areas that have cracked and peeled by sanding, spot priming and recoating. Keep a record of the colours you’ve used. Resene’s CoolColour technology allows more of the infra-red heat to be reflected out of the painted surface which in many cases will help prevent or reduce the risk of cupping and cracking of timber. Resene ColorShop staff can offer advice on the colours and products suited to your conditions.
Jay: For more exposed areas in direct sunlight, think about colour selection. Darker colours absorb more heat which can lead to coating and substrate issues. Resene CoolColour Technology helps to reduce the amount of heat absorbed into a substrate but it doesn’t eliminate the potential of heat related issues entirely.
New building materials will likely have LRV (Light Reflectance Value) restrictions so check before you paint. Also, if you spend a lot of time barefoot, darker colours for your deck or patio may mean it gets too hot to walk on in the height of summer. You may want to opt for a light to midrange colour instead, as very white or light decks can end up glary.
Tips for painting in hot weather
Bryce: Don’t paint in really hot weather if you can avoid it. The best advice is to follow the shade around. Start early ahead of the sun and take a break when the sun’s at its hottest.
Jay: Use Resene Hot Weather Additive in your waterborne paints. This will slow drying time and help with the flow of the paint. It also increases the wet edge time to help you achieve a better finish. This means not letting the paint dry on one area before painting the next, so you get a seamless blend.
Protect your roof
Bryce: Roofs are exposed all the time to all sorts of conditions. Choose our Resene Summit Roof Paint in a CoolColour to reduce heat absorption compared to the standard colour. Get up there occasionally to check for moss and lichen and get rid of it. Give the roof a wash if it needs it. If you’re using any kind of chemical wash, disconnect the downpipes to keep chemicals out of the stormwater system. Use appropriate safety gear to avoid falling off your roof. Never walk over wet paint or stain — it’s slippery! Plan your painting so you don’t need to walk over wet areas.
General tips and tricks
Jay: Regular cleaning and keeping the surface free from contaminants goes a long way to maintaining the coating and protecting the area. While cleaning you will notice areas that may need maintenance so keep on top of that. Edges and areas angled to the sun need the most maintenance. Touching up small areas can take an hour or two, doing nothing can result in a full strip and repaint which will take much longer.
If you’re planning to use bright colours outside, keep their colour vibrant for longer with Resene Clearcoat UVS, a gloss clear finish to help protect against UV.
Resene staff can help with any prep, paint or colour questions. Visit your Resene ColorShop or Ask a Resene paint expert online, www.resene.com/paintexpert.