Painting facades – We’ll show you how it’s done

Step 1: The right tools: What do you need for painting the facade?

For cleaning before you apply the paint, it’s a good idea to use a pressure washer, often in combination with a special moss and algae remover.
For the new coat you will need – in addition to sufficient paint – a flat brush and a good paint roller that will give you an even finish. Use a paint grid to control the amount of paint on the roller and avoid applying too much paint when painting the façade. To protect adjacent windows, gutters and the ground from paint, we recommend masking all parts of the façade that are not to be painted with masking tape and/or covering them with a tarp. Depending on how high your façade is, you will probably also need scaffolding.

Step 2: Proper planning – painting a facade needs to be well planned

Step 3: Preparation – how to correctly paint the façade

The prerequisite for a perfectly painted façade is a clean substrate. Loose paint, dirt, moss or growth must be carefully removed before painting. A garden hose is usually sufficient for this, or a pressure washer in more stubborn cases. To remove moss and algae, we recommend pre-treating with a moss and algae remover. Please observe the application instructions. After treatment, you can remove any residue with a brush.

Next, check whether you need to re-prime the façade before painting. There are three tests you can use:

• Wipe test: Wipe your hand over the cleaned façade. If you have paint on your hand afterwards, you need to re-prime before painting the façade.
• Absorption test: Spray water onto the cleaned, dry façade. If it soaks in, you also need to re-prime the façade before painting.
• Scratch or tap test: Scratch or tap the façade to detect any hollow areas. If the render crumbles, you must re-render larger areas before painting the façade. Smaller cracks can be repaired with mortar.

If old paint is flaking off, remove it completely with a pressure washer or grinder, or manually with a stiff brush. Afterwards, you can start carefully masking all window frames, sills, doors, etc. before you begin painting the façade.

Step 4: Painting – how to paint the façade

For a long-lasting result, you will need to paint the facade twice: once with a base coat and once with a top coat. Depending on the building structure, a deep primer may be necessary to stabilize the substrate. For the base coat, you can dilute the facade paint with between 5% and 10% water, depending on the product. Apply the second coat, i.e. the top coat, undiluted. In the application tips for each of our facade paints, you can find out which instructions apply to your chosen product for painting the facade.

• What comes first? First paint the window reveals, corners and recesses – ideally separately from the rest of the facade. The best tool for this is a flat brush.
• And then? For larger areas, we recommend using a special facade roller for painting the facade.
• The right painting technique for the facade: Roll from top to bottom, then spread the paint criss-cross. Finally, roll again from top to bottom. Always paint “wet-on-wet”, i.e. apply the paint quickly and with overlapping strokes. This prevents lap marks and ensures an even coat.
• Drying time: Depending on the product, it takes 8 to 12 hours for the base coat to dry. Only then should you apply the main coat.