Step 1: The right tools: What do you need to paint the facade?

To clean the surface before applying paint, you should use a high-pressure cleaner, often in combination with a special moss and algae remover.
For the new coat of paint, you will need - in addition to sufficient paint - a flat brush and a good paint roller, which will enable you to apply the paint evenly. Using a paint grid, you can control the paint application and avoid applying excessive paint to the wall when painting the facade. To protect neighboring windows, gutters, etc. and the floor from paint, we recommend that you tape off all parts of the facade that are not to be painted with adhesive tape or cover them with a tarpaulin. Depending on how high your facade is, you will probably also need scaffolding.

Step 2: The right planning: Painting the facade must be well planned

Painting the facade is a time-consuming process that you should plan for several days. You should allow one to two days for preparation. The primer and main coat will take at least another two days, depending on the facade area. If you don't have a scaffold yourself, you can usually rent one for painting the facade from a hardware store for a fee.
Tip: Wait for the perfect time to paint the facade: If the sun is shining, the paint will dry too quickly and the paint marks will become visible. The outside temperature should be above +5 degrees during application and drying (even at night). The humidity should not be too high so that the paint can dry.

Step 3: Preparation: Painting the facade properly

A perfectly painted facade requires a dirt-free surface. Loose paint, dirt, moss or growth must be carefully removed before painting. This can usually be done using a garden hose or, in more stubborn cases, a high-pressure cleaner. To remove moss and algae, we recommend pre-treating with a moss and algae killer. Please note the processing instructions. After treatment, you can remove any residue with a brush.

Next, check whether you need to re-prime the facade before painting. The following three tests are useful for this:

• Wipe test: Wipe your hand over the cleaned facade. If you then have paint on your hand, you must re-prime it before painting the facade.
• Testing the absorbency: Spray water onto the cleaned, dry facade. If it absorbs, you will need to re-prime the facade before painting.
• Scratch or knock test: Scratch or knock the facade to determine possible cavities. If the plaster is crumbling, you will need to re-plaster larger areas before painting the facade. Smaller cracks can be repaired with mortar.

If old paint is chipping away, remove it completely with a high-pressure cleaner or sander or manually with a firm brush. You can then start carefully masking off all window frames, window sills, doors, etc. before painting the facade.

Step 4: The painting: Painting the facade - How to do it

For a long-lasting result, you will need to paint the facade twice: once with a primer and once with a top coat. Depending on the building structure, a primer with a deep primer is necessary to solidify the surface. For the primer, you can dilute the facade paint with between 5% and 10% water, depending on the product. The second coat, i.e. the top coat, is applied with undiluted paint. In the processing tips for each of our facade paints, you will find out which information applies to your chosen product for painting the facade.

• What comes first? First, paint the window reveals, corners and niches – preferably separately from the rest of the facade. It is best to use a flat brush for this.
• And then? For larger areas, we recommend using a special facade roller to paint the facade.
• The correct painting technique for painting a facade: Roll from top to bottom, then spread the paint criss-cross. Finally, roll from top to bottom again. Always paint "wet on wet". Apply the paint quickly and overlapping. This way you avoid streaks and ensure that the paint is applied evenly.
• Drying time: Depending on the product, it takes 8 to 12 hours for the primer to dry. Only then should you apply the main coat.