A house made of wood needs exterior finishing. Every professional builder will agree with this opinion. In addition to decorative functions, the finishing also has protective functions: a wooden structure is exposed to moisture, ultraviolet radiation, and pests. There are many materials for protection and decoration that are almost equally in demand by owners and builders, but paint is often preferable to other options.
Acceptable choice
Painting wooden facade elements is a budget option. In terms of mechanical and fire-fighting properties, it is inferior to porcelain stoneware or brick, but with the money saved when purchasing the material, it will be possible to buy fire retardants, thanks to which the wood will not be flammable for decades.
The responsible decision is to find something to paint the outside of a wooden house. Manufacturers offer many items for external woodworking, but only a few are relevant. The choice is based on:
- building materials (timber, blockhouse, logs, lining, chipboard and others);
- climate zone;
- old finish;
- amount of funds for repairs.
It is preferable to navigate for famous brands- Tikkurila, Finncolor, Beckers, Optimist, purchasing from time-tested retail chains or online stores. There are a lot of fakes on the market: if you save a few tens of rubles, you risk ruining your house and losing money, because redoing low-quality paint is difficult and inexpensive.
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What is used
Manufacturers offer different paints and varnishes. Durable and rough compositions are an option for painting the outside of a wooden house. Facade paints vary in the composition of film-forming components. The type of solvent, the possibility of tinting, and other parameters depend on them.
Various antiseptics
Antiseptic varnishes There are glazing (transparent) and covering (they are not transparent). The first type retains the natural color and emphasizes the wood texture. The second will allow you to achieve the desired shade. The products penetrate deeply and protect the wood from rot, mold, and the negative effects of moisture. Coating compositions last 6-7 years, glaze varnish needs to be renewed every 4-5 years. Antiseptic impregnations, which can also be called paints, are often used to treat the surface.
Antiseptics are convenient for covering facades made of planed or polished wood valuable varieties with a pronounced pattern. The compounds dry quickly; for full protection you need to cover the surface with two layers. Only fresh wood can be processed.
Antiseptic impregnation is applied every 2-3 years. There are expensive products that allow you to make updates once every 5-6 years, belonging to the category of azures or colored impregnations. Along with a protective function, they perform a decorative one. Many products contain substances that block ultraviolet radiation, so the wood retains its color.
Acrylic products
These are emulsions, dispersions, and water-soluble products. The base is acrylic resins or acrylic copolymers. The composition may contain artificial or natural rubbers, antiseptics, and fungicides. The white or transparent base has varying degrees of gloss, and can be matte, glossy or semi-gloss.
Acrylic paints can contain pigments and dyes, thanks to which the exterior of a house can be painted in any color or shade. Some dye catalogs present up to 20 thousand options. When purchasing paint, it is preferable to choose a pigment from the range of color solutions from the same manufacturer.
Manufacturers do not disclose the chemical composition of the products. Therefore, reactions may occur between products of different brands. When mixing products from different brands, the paint will take a long time to dry, will bubble, and will quickly lose color. To avoid unpleasant situations, check options for compatibility before purchasing. It is better to do the tinting in the store; it is especially convenient to do this in a tinting machine.
Advantages:
- large color spectrum;
- excellent adhesion to wooden surfaces;
- without smell;
- not flammable;
- environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic.
The only downside is their high cost., when compared with the cost of alkyd and oil-based ones.
Acrylic paints are most in demand among residents of country houses. The products are best suited for coating natural wood: they are safe. The paints allow the wood to “breathe”, resulting in good air exchange. An elastic, dense coating is created that protects the wood from moisture, cracking, and fungus. The paint needs to be renewed every 8-10 years.
Alkyd paints
The compounds have been used to treat wood flooring for many years. Created on the basis of polycondensation resins, collectively known as “alkyds,” the products are characterized by low production costs, excellent coating ability, and a noticeable level of adhesion to wood. Suitable for painting polished, planed, sawn wood, and logs without bark.
Alkyd paints form a dense, durable, elastic film that responds well to temperature movements of wood: it does not crack during drying, thermal expansion or other dimensional changes. When coated in 2 layers, the film becomes waterproof and only slightly vapor permeable. Only dry wood is coated with alkyd paints.
Manufacturers sometimes include antiseptics and fire retardants in their products. There is information about the presence of such in the instructions for the paint. If there are no components, the surface is treated before painting. This will increase the cost of painting, but the service life of the coating and the structure itself will increase several times.
Alkyd paints are available in a fixed color spectrum, but painting a wooden house in the desired shade is not difficult: the products are mixed in a certain proportion. The quality of the finishing coating is unchanged. But It is better to use for mixing products from one manufacturer.
Leading manufacturers offer colorless alkyd paints. They are tinted in the same way as acrylic ones. This is convenient, especially when applying the product to a new wooden surface, when looking for an option that will make the house stand out among neighboring buildings, even those built according to the same design. This situation happens in cottage villages.
Alkyd paints are a quality competitor to acrylic paints. They lose money only in terms of fire safety during storage and operation. You will need to follow strict rules of conduct with open flames and heating devices. As a result, the layer becomes low-flammable, but due to rapid drying, the product does not have time to be deeply absorbed inside, this negatively affects the duration of operation. Alkyd paints are frost-resistant: they can withstand temperatures less than -30 0 C.
Oil paints
They are well absorbed, penetrate deeply, and effectively protect wooden walls from dirt and moisture. But the products are not in great demand due to the long drying time. Over time, painted wood will change color, and yellow spots may sometimes become noticeable on the surface. To avoid such a situation, the walls are repainted every 2-3 years.
For a long time, oil paints, which can be diluted with drying oil or other natural oils, were competitors to alkyd paints. But now many manufacturers are abandoning them due to the complexity of application and the imperfect characteristics of the finishing coating. But despite the shortcomings, such paints are a budget option. Once applied to a wooden surface, the paint is well absorbed, forming a weather-resistant coating.
Additional options
In addition to the type of coating, it is important to choose the color. Transparent compositions will allow you to preserve the structure and color of the wood, choose a dark or light shade, or a matte/glossy sheen. There are products for painting a wooden house with colors that have nothing to do with the color of the wood.
You can paint the house blue, yellow, or other colors. The choice is based on the wishes of the owner. According to designers, warm shades are good for northern latitudes and cold regions. In warm areas it is better to use cool colors. How to paint a wooden house is up to you:
How to paint old and new houses
For painting an old building, the recommendation is this: if the layer holds up well, there are no cracks, and no areas of film peeling are noticeable, then use the same type of paint as before. Alkyd paint can be applied over oil paint: their properties are combined. Acrylic ones are not suitable, but some manufacturers allow this contact.
The type of old paint is determined by the appearance of the coating. Acrylic cracks along the wood grain. Oil cracks in the form of a mesh. If the surface is covered with a glossy film of glazing antiseptic, then painting is done with antiseptic, oil or alkyd paints. Before repainting with acrylic paint, the old antiseptic film is removed down to the wood. Preparing for painting:
- the surface is cleaned with a metal brush down to the wood, the facade is washed with water;
- mold is removed using special means;
- the wood is treated with an alkaline detergent;
- surfaces are ground (if necessary).
After preparing the surface, painting proceeds in stages, as for a new building: primer, application of paints and varnishes. Do I need to remove the old paint layer? Thin, without swelling or cracks, processed with sandpaper. The old thick, flaky, multi-part layer is removed.
How to paint the surface of a new wooden house? Alkyd and acrylic paints are options for ordinary types of wood, glazing impregnations, and glazes are suitable for finishing valuable wood with a textured pattern. It is necessary to prime if recommended by the manufacturer. The outside of the house is always painted only on dry wood; the work is carried out in warm weather, not in direct sunlight. The wood must be completely dry.
Finishing the facade by painting is always more profitable from a financial point of view than the same type of finishing used for interior decoration. The thing is that in addition to the external walls, the house also has partitions, which doubles the area of the surface to be painted. Therefore, even if the price of facade paint turns out to be slightly higher, less money will still be spent on exterior finishing.
However, before painting the outside of the house, you need to choose the right paint and prepare the surface, because the quality of the finish as a whole ultimately depends on these two nuances. In this article we will talk about the types and compatibility of facade paints and varnishes, their protective and decorative properties. We hope that our instructions will become the best assistant for those who cannot make a choice.
By and large, the standards impose requirements not so much on the paints themselves, but on the decorative films they form.
What is most important to them? The main indicator of good façade paint is the ability of the coating to maintain its integrity and original color for a long time under weather conditions.
Basic indicators
For façade paints, indicators such as vapor permeability and moisture resistance are very important, and in fact, achieving them from one material is quite problematic. And without this combination, the coating will not be durable, since moisture attacks it not only from the outside, but also comes out in the form of steam from the wall.
Note! When the steam has nowhere to go, it condenses and moisturizes the inner surface of the paint film. In winter, this moisture freezes, and when it thaws, it expands and peels off the paint. Keep in mind: the higher the vapor permeability of the structural material of the walls and their interior decoration, the higher this indicator should be for the façade paint.
So:
- Paints with good vapor permeability are called “breathable”, and this characteristic is improved by introducing pore-forming additives into the paintwork composition.. But in order for the coating to be resistant to ultraviolet radiation, manufacturers have to use light-resistant film formers and pigments.
- Peeling of paint from the base occurs not only due to its poor vapor permeability. The quality of the coating is largely determined by the properties of the primer, which must also be properly selected. The main rule here is that the primer composition should be made based on the same components as the paint.
To a question like: “How to paint the outside of a log house?”, we can safely answer that the best option is self-priming paint, which is both a primer and a paint.
Simply, when applying the first layer, it is diluted with a solvent to a more liquid state, and the surface is primed. The second layer is applied as usual.
Choice of colors
When choosing paint for the facade, it is also necessary to take into account such indicators as hiding power and consumption per 1 m2. In fact, these are two related concepts - the better the paint covers the base, the fewer layers will have to be applied, and accordingly, its consumption will be lower.
Advice! Before judging which paint is more cost-effective, do not look at the price tags, but compare the consumption indicators. If more expensive paint turns out to be more economical in terms of consumption, then, most likely, its use will be the most profitable from a financial point of view.
Lime based paints
The most environmentally friendly paints are lime and silicate options. It would seem that with the advent of newfangled paints and tinting impregnations, no one uses lime whitewash anymore. But, nevertheless, the facades of old buildings that are undergoing restoration are painted with them.
What is the reason for this preference:
- But the fact is that lime paint does not contain polymers and does not form a film, which, in fact, is foreign to the walls. It conducts steam best, and is even a kind of antiseptic - just remember trees, whose trunks are still treated with lime to this day. But, of course, this does not mean that wooden walls can be painted with a lime-based composition.
Note! Substrates suitable for applying lime paints include lime-containing plasters and base substrates, as well as walls built from natural stone and concrete. The list of contraindications for them is as follows: all gypsum-based substrates (plaster, panels, gypsum plasterboard and gypsum fiber board), ceramic bricks, as well as old paint and varnish coatings that are not classified as lime.
- The only disadvantage of lime paints is that they do not tint very well (see How to tint paint: choosing an option), and when painting it is almost impossible to achieve a uniform shade of the surface. In addition, over time it crumbles, and the facade quite often has to be repainted. Therefore, when we are talking not about a modest country house, but about a city residential building with a façade design claim, you will have to choose something else for exterior painting.
- If you need to do the initial painting of a newly plastered house, or you need to repaint a façade that was previously painted with lime or cement paint, you can give preference to silicate compounds. They also contain lime, but along with it there are also 13-15% organic compounds, due to which the durability of the coating increases.
- Indications and contraindications for the use of silicate paints are exactly the same as for lime paints - we have already drawn your attention to this. This type of paint is produced either in powder form, which must be mixed with liquid glass, or, as shown in the photo above, in finished form.
- As a rule, it is just white paint. Before use, it is tinted as desired, but the colors are mostly pastel. Silicate compounds are quite caustic, and when applying such paint with your own hands, you must be especially careful and use protective equipment.
For the same reason, and also because it hardens quite quickly, it is applied with a roller (see), and not with a spray gun. You will get more detailed information on performing this work by watching the video in this article.
Aqueous dispersions
Everyone knows that water-based paints are mainly used for painting interiors. But imagine that for facades in many cases they should also be given preference. For example, on cement plaster, which is usually used for exterior work, it is generally not recommended to use alkyd and oil-based compounds.
- The reason for this is the presence in these paints of fatty acids in an ethereal state, which, when exposed to the alkaline environment of the plaster, begin to collapse. So here the palm goes to dispersion-type paints.
Note! To the question: “What is the best way to paint a house made of timber from the outside?”, we will answer this way. If you want to get a color that matches the wood palette, it is better to give preference to tinted antiseptics, or, as they are also called, colored impregnations. They are both bioprotection and wood tinting. Well, to obtain any other color, we recommend the same dispersion paints.
- Given such a wide range of applications, we will dwell on water-soluble paints in more detail. Many people do not understand the difference between the concepts “water-emulsion” and “water-dispersion”. And this is the same thing. An emulsion is a mixture of water and substances that do not dissolve in it.
- And a dispersion is a suspension of the smallest solid particles that are present in the same emulsion. Typically, its role is played by cellulose, chalk or talc, which are included in the paint composition in order to obtain the desired thickness. Water-dispersion paints are also called water-soluble paints, since in a liquid state they are diluted with water.
- Old generation paints, made mainly on the basis of butadiene styrene or polyvinyl acetate, were not only easily diluted, but also easily removed from the surface. Naturally, they were not used for facades. In contrast, coatings of modern paints made on the basis of acrylic resins, latex, and silicone have ideal mechanical strength.
When they dry, the film polymerizes, which is akin to the setting of cement, which is first easily diluted with water, and then forms a stone that becomes impenetrable to it. These compounds are sold white, but a color as rich as in the picture is obtained using concentrated tinting pastes added to the paint before application.
Synthetic paints and their compatibility
For painting facades, especially in large quantities, synthetic paints are often used, since they are much cheaper than others. These include oil compositions, although many are skeptical about them.
Meanwhile, modern technologies have long brought them to a fundamentally new level, and with the right approach to preparatory work, the result is unlikely to disappoint.
- In any case, the question: “How to paint the outside of a frame house?” can be safely answered – with oil paint. The base surface in such a house is wood-polymer board (OSB) cladding, and this type of paint is perfect for it, as well as for any wooden surface.
- In addition to oil paints, the following synthetic paints are used for facades: perchlorovinyl (CV), silicone (SO), pentaphthalic (PF), and paints based on chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CP). All of them are toxic, have a pungent odor, and therefore are only suitable for outdoor use.
- Some of the synthetic paints can even be used at low temperatures, which is why they are used in large-scale construction that is carried out year-round. We will not go into the technological details of their manufacture, but we will pay a little attention to their compatibility. In cases where you have to renew old paintwork, this is very important.
In the table below, we will note which old coating cannot be applied to this or that type of paint, and will rely on the requirements of the current standard:
- Among the variety of façade paints, I would especially like to mention siloxane-based compositions. They also represent an aqueous medium into which silicone resin is integrated, so they can rightfully be called water-based. The structure of silicone is similar to quartz sand, but there are also organic compounds attached to it.
- This substance can equally well be attributed to both the inorganic and organic groups - that is, it is some kind of intermediate form. Among facade paints and varnishes, silicone paints occupy a very special place. They form a surface that does not absorb water to any extent, and, by the way, does not attract dust at all.
- In terms of vapor permeability, they can easily “compete” with silicate paints. Most importantly, siloxane-based paints do not contribute to surface tension on plastered surfaces, which makes this coating the most durable.
Silicone dispersions adhere well to almost all types of surfaces and are also compatible with most organic and inorganic paints. Thanks to this, they are equally good for both primary painting of the facade and for its repair. The high cost is the only drawback of this option, but given the quality and durability of the coating, in the end, the consumer only benefits.
Wooden surfaces used outdoors require high-quality protection from the damaging effects of the environment. After long-term use of wooden structures, this task is more relevant than ever.
Specifics of old wooden houses
The following features of old wooden walls compared to recently erected ones can be highlighted:
- Presence of defects and damage to wood. These could be cracks, traces of biological influence (mold), etc.
- Deterioration in the appearance of the tree from the outside (burnout, loss of color).
- The presence of old coating that needs to be removed.
Impact of specificity
How to paint the outside of an old wooden house, taking into account the specific features outlined above? First, you need to remove the old coating. Theoretically, you don’t have to do this, but it is highly recommended because:
- The presence of the old coating makes it possible to carry out all the necessary measures,
- The old coating may simply crumble (along with the new one),
- Paint consumption when working on an old coating increases by 10-15%.
Secondly, attention should be paid to thorough antiseptic treatment of the material. Considering the appearance of old wood, it is not advisable to use glazing compounds. On the other hand, coating antiseptics will not provide the required level of protection, since they have a superficial effect. The best option is deep penetration formulations.
Thirdly, it is recommended to use facade putty to eliminate serious surface defects. Putty greatly complicates the technology of treating walls from the outside, but it helps to repair cracks, chips and other damage.
What paints should I use?
Let's consider how to paint the outside of an old wooden house:
Oil paints.
Not so long ago, this was the most popular option for painting wood. However, today the popularity of this type of paint is falling. The reason is the presence of some negative features: long drying time, tendency to matt, difficulty of application (drips often form).
On the other hand, oil paints are inexpensive, penetrate deep into the wood and protect it from water.
Acrylic paints.
These compositions, on the contrary, are gaining popularity. Paints of this type are applied in an even, smooth layer, which will update the appearance of an old structure. At the same time, acrylic paints dry quickly enough and do not have a strong odor. The service life of acrylic paints is 30-40% longer compared to oil-based paints. However, their price is higher.
Alkyd paints.
Due to the presence of resins, they provide good protection of wood from water.
Both acrylic and alkyd paints hold color well and are vapor permeable. The latter circumstance allows the wood to “breathe”, which ensures that the wood maintains optimal moisture content.
When painting old wood surfaces, it is important to ensure they are properly prepared. In addition, the specifics of old walls practically exclude the use of glaze compounds. Acrylic paints can be considered the most preferred material for work.
Painting the outside of an old wooden house
Wooden surfaces used outdoors require high-quality protection from the damaging effects of the environment.
Refresh the paint on an old house and make it look like new
What you need to paint a house
Where to start painting a house
Like all repair work, you need to start with calculating the material. You need to measure the area of the part of the house that is to be painted. It should correspond to the area of the walls minus the area of existing windows and doors.
Then calculate the required amount of paint for this. This is quite easy to do. All cans always indicate the average paint consumption per square meter, which should be multiplied by the area of the measured wall of the house. What happened is multiplied by two, since to obtain a good quality coating you should apply at least two layers of paint.
How to paint the outside of an old wooden house
What paint to buy and what color to paint the house? For painting an old wooden house, oil paint or alkyd enamel is best. It is still preferable to purchase alkyd enamel; although it is more expensive than oil paint, it has a longer service life of the paint layer, up to six years, while oil paint has up to three years.
As for the color scheme for painting your house, then as they say, “there are no friends according to taste and color.” You can paint a wooden house any color you like. You can paint the outside of the house either one color or combine two or more colors.
Paint an old house any color you like
How to paint a house correctly - let's get to work!
The first stage is preparatory, perhaps the dirtiest and not very pleasant, but necessary. When preparing the surface of the walls before painting, you need to check and replace, if necessary, fragments of the old cladding that have become unusable.
Then, using a metal brush, carefully remove the old paint and clean the walls from peeling and dust. Window frames and trim, as well as doorways, should be sanded. Then construction tape and wrapping paper (or, alternatively, old newspapers) will come in handy, with which you can protect the window glass from paint getting on it.
How to renovate an old house - let's start painting
Before painting the house, it would be a good idea to treat the surface with a primer; the paint will lie smoother, and the consumption will be less. After you have thoroughly mixed the paint in the jar, you should immediately apply it to the surface of the wall, moving from top to bottom, using a wide brush. This is done in order to rub the flowing paint, preventing the formation of drips.
When applying the first layer, it is advisable to use paint of a thinner consistency, which penetrates faster and fills minor damage and cracks. After just a couple of days, the surface of the walls can be repainted.
And the final touch is to tidy up and update the cornices, door and window frames. These parts need to be painted with a narrow hair brush, having previously cleaned them of dirt and dust. It is better to choose paint in lighter tones than the main color, or even in a contrasting color. When finished, remove paper and tape from the windows.
How and with what to paint the outside of an old wooden house
How and with what to paint the outside of a wooden house to give the building a completely new look - read our article
Every owner of a wooden house should periodically think about protecting its walls. Wood is subject to destruction due to seasonal temperature changes, high humidity and ultraviolet radiation. Moreover, fungi, mold or various insects may appear in it. Painting an old wooden house can help solve these problems.
Before you start painting, you need to prepare the walls: check the elements of the old cladding, seal cracks, and prime the surface.
Causes of damage to old coating
Old paint may begin to peel or bubble. Basically, this problem appears due to the increased content of condensate. The reason for its occurrence may be wear and tear of the putty coating, a clogged drainage system, or poor-quality treatment of seams or cracks.
In order for the paint to adhere well to the wall, it is necessary to apply a layer of primer to the surface to be treated.
To fix this problem, you need to address the source of moisture. To do this, it is necessary to thoroughly study the condition of the walls of a wooden house from the outside. Then check the condition of the roof, all existing gutters, window bays and cladding and seam joints. If cracks are found on the outside walls of a wooden house, they must be repaired (sealed). After this, you need to check the condition of the putty; if it falls off, then it needs to be renewed. The next step before painting the exterior of a wooden house is to apply a primer, otherwise the wood may absorb the solvent, which will lead to poor performance.
Peeling of paint can also occur under the eaves, where weather exposure is minimal. This happens mainly in plates that have a small thickness. In this case, moisture interacts with the chemical composition of the paint, which leads to the appearance of a salt coating. The resulting salts will accumulate water, which will freeze when low temperatures arrive. When frozen, water is subject to expansion, so it will lift the top layers of paint, causing it to delaminate.
To avoid this, you need to wash the wall surface located under the eaves using regular detergents. You can also use a car wash for these purposes, which will allow you to wash under pressure. After this, the paint that will peel off must be removed from the surface of the walls.
Crack Treatment
To avoid delamination of previously painted layers, and to avoid the appearance of unevenness on the walls, you need to grind the base to the surface of the log.
From time to time, cases arise when the paint on the outside of a wooden house is accompanied by cracking of the base of the walls. Small fractures may appear at first, which can eventually form larger cracks. Such defects contribute to the penetration of dampness under the surface of the coating and, as a result, the destruction of the paint of a wooden house.
Moreover, dampness that gets into the cracks will lead to mold and various fungi getting onto the surface of the wall. This will not only lead to damage to the material in the future, but can also cause various types of diseases, including pulmonary ones.
The walls of some houses may have been painted more than once, so the lower layers of the coating have become completely fragile, which leads to delamination of all layers in turn. As a result, water can get on the wood and it will swell, which will lead to the appearance of cracks or an increase in the size of old ones.
To avoid such problems, you need to remove the damaged surface, after which they are polished. But the best option would be to completely remove all layers of paint and varnish material, right to the surface of the log. This will prevent similar problems in the future and eliminate the appearance of unevenness on the walls.
House painting process
If the old coat of paint is faded, has a pale appearance, is moldy, or has other imperfections, it's time to start painting it. The technology for painting an old wooden house is divided into three main stages:
Tools for applying paint: paint brush or roller, paint container, rag or rags.
- Removing the old coating surface.
- Treating walls using primer and various antiseptics.
- Applying a coat of paint.
After the wall surface is cleared of old paint and other coatings, you need to apply an antiseptic primer to it. After this, you need to apply paint, and for this you will need the following tools and materials:
- Paint brush or roller.
- Bucket.
- Rag or rags.
In order to paint a house with your own hands with high quality, you need to mix the paint very carefully and well to avoid applying an uneven layer of coating.
Before starting work, you can paint a small test area to understand the correct selection of the required color. The highest quality can be achieved using a brush. Its use will allow you to obtain a uniform color and thickness of the applied layer.
If possible, you should use a primer whose color is identical to the color of the paint. This can be done using the tinting procedure. Tinting the soil will allow you to avoid unpainted areas.
Painting the outside of a wooden house should not be done in direct sunlight to avoid the paint drying very quickly. Therefore, it is not recommended to perform such robots during the day in hot weather. Work should be avoided during precipitation (rain, snow, etc.), which will complicate the drying process of the material. The most favorable weather will be a warm, windless and partly cloudy day.
Antiseptic paint should be applied along the material to ensure better penetration into the wood fibers. Particular attention should be paid to the ends of boards or logs. These are the weakest points of the tree, where water will most easily and very quickly be absorbed into the structure of the material. Therefore, it is necessary to apply paint and primer very carefully and in several layers to the ends.
Painting the outside of a wooden house is a necessary and responsible task. It will help not only preserve the surface of its walls, but also make it reliable, beautiful, and also emphasize the high status of the owner of the house.
How to paint the outside of an old wooden house
Painting the outside of an old wooden house is a necessary and responsible task. How to do it yourself? Crack treatment, house painting process.
Wood is a living material, so processes occur in it that are characteristic of all living organisms. Under the influence of time and unfavorable weather factors (rain, sun, temperature changes), wood begins to age, become sick and deteriorate. Various microorganisms and insects that settle in the tree and gradually destroy its structure, as well as mold and mildew that form in damp places, also contribute to this negative process. As a result, the wood loses its original appearance, and the house turns into an unsightly gray structure. Painting the gray walls of a wooden house can solve the problem. How to renew aged wood, and what paint is best to paint it with, that’s what we’ll talk about.
Specifics of painting an old wooden house
An old wooden structure, unlike a newly built house, has already experienced the negative influence of time, bad weather and other natural factors. Therefore, the building, as a rule, has a very unpleasant appearance: the wood is cracked and darkened, the logs are covered with a network of small cracks, and in some places mold and mildew are blooming. In general, all the signs of old age and decline are evident. The best way to update an old building is by painting.
If you immediately apply fresh paint on top of all this “beauty,” then nothing good will come of it. A new coating will not save the house from further destruction; on the contrary, applied to an untreated surface, it can provoke increased crumbling of the wood. Therefore, before painting the outside of an old wooden house, it is necessary to carefully prepare and renew the surface.
Preparing the house for painting
The first step is to inspect the entire structure. If the inspection reveals logs that are rotten and severely damaged by fungus, they will have to be replaced. If the wood has not yet been damaged, areas covered with mold can be preserved. In this case, moldy areas are treated with an antiseptic.
A darkened surface can be bleached using special bleaching compounds. For the same purposes, ordinary cheap white is suitable, which will provide the same effect as more expensive special means. Large and small cracks are sealed with acrylic-based putties for exterior use. If the surface is to be painted in the future, putty of any color is suitable; under the varnish coating it is better to use products that match the wood.
Main stages of preparatory work:
- Old peeling paint is cleaned off with a wire brush or spatula. You can also use chemicals designed to clean the surface. The mechanical method is faster, and the chemical method takes longer, but is more effective. After chemical treatment, the old log structure will look like new.
- Uneven and rough surfaces are sanded to good light wood. To do this, use a grinder with a special attachment. If there are any unevenness left on the wood after sanding, they are smoothed out with coarse sandpaper.
- Next, a primer is applied. To protect wood from the appearance of fungus and mold, it is better to paint it with a primer composition with antiseptic additives. It is advisable to use a primer that matches the color of the paint that will be used to paint the house.
What paint is best to paint the outside of a wooden house?
To determine the best way to paint a wooden house, you need to get acquainted with the dyes that are suitable for painting the external walls of old wooden buildings.
There are several types of coloring compounds:
- Oil paints have very good penetrating ability and are perfectly absorbed by wood. They are also highly resistant to any weather conditions.
- Acrylate paints form an elastic coating on the surface that does not crack when wood shrinks during seasonal temperature fluctuations. The house will need to be repainted no earlier than ten years after the renovation.
- Coating antiseptics reliably protect wood from various adverse weather conditions, and also prevent the formation of mold and rot.
A different type of paint can be applied to an old painted surface only if the previous dye is completely removed before repainting. If you bought a house that was already painted and don't know what kind of paint it was painted with, you can tear off a small piece of the old paint and roll it up. If the old coating easily rolls up, most likely the structure was painted with acrylate dye, but if the paint has crumbled, then you have an oil composition.
How to paint an old wooden house correctly
You can only paint dry wood, otherwise the paint will curl. Painting is best done in cloudy but not rainy weather. This is due to the fact that direct sunlight, when hitting a painted surface, contributes to the formation of stains.
Before applying the paint, it must be mixed thoroughly. For painting, it is better to choose a wide brush with natural or mixed bristles and dense padding. Work begins with the lower crowns of the frame, applying paint only in a horizontal direction to avoid smudges. To get an even and beautiful coating, you need to apply two or three layers. After repainting the house for the first time, you need to wait for the paint to dry completely, and only then proceed to the next layer.
Mistakes when doing work independently
A typical mistake when painting an old wooden structure is poor quality and improper preparation of the wood before applying the dye. Some unprofessional builders, wanting to quickly and cheaply repaint an old log house, perform only part of the necessary preparatory work, or even skip the preparation stage, which ultimately only increases costs. For example, when painting yourself, logs are often not sanded, as a result of which the antiseptic cannot penetrate deeply into the wood, which causes the fragility of the new coating.
Professional painting services
The right choice is to entrust the painting of your old wooden house to specialists who thoroughly know the technology and rules for performing the work. Experienced craftsmen of the Master Srubov company will carry out all the necessary work at a high professional level. We will determine the condition of the wood, thoroughly prepare the house for painting, and select the optimal paint composition in accordance with the individual characteristics of the wooden structure. We guarantee high quality painting and a long service life of the new coating. You can contact us using the coordinates in the “Contacts” section.
Technology and rules for painting an old wooden house
Painting the gray walls of a wooden house can solve the problem. We will tell you in this article how to renew aged wood and what paint is best to paint it with.
Regardless of whether the wooden building is new or old. The owners are faced with the question: how to paint the outside of a wooden house. To know which composition to choose, you need to understand the types of facade coatings and the features of their application.
Types of paints
The paint and varnish coating for exterior work is chosen taking into account the location of the building. Since paint for a wooden facade has a set of characteristics.
Types of paints for woodwork:
- Acrylic paints for exterior use. These are products for finishing wooden houses. They are used to paint the façade of the building, the veranda, and the windows outside the building. They are based on acrylic resins, antiseptics and fungicides. They protect the tree from negative influences. Acrylates are fireproof, odorless and have varying degrees of gloss. A wide selection of pigments and dyes allows you to create the desired shade.
Paint and color must be from the same manufacturer. When combining different brands, the quality of the coating may decrease (drying will slow down, bubbles will appear, color will change).
- Alkyd paints for wooden walls. They are used for outdoor work. They are based on polycondensation resins. Paints for wooden facades have positive qualities: adhesion to wood, resistance to changes in air temperature, moisture resistance.
Alkyds often contain antifungal agents and flame retardants (substances that increase fire resistance), the presence of which plays an important role in painting a wooden house. Depending on the composition of the substance, the fire resistance of the coating varies. This indicator is clarified when purchasing paint.
The disadvantage of alkyd coatings is the limited choice of colors and quick drying (does not have time to penetrate deep into the timber). Their solvents have an average level of toxicity and flammability.
- Oil paints are used for painting both outside and inside buildings. They are easy to apply and durable. The downside is that the coating takes more than 24 hours to dry.
- An antiseptic based on an alkyd-acrylate mixture - this material is used both for painting and for impregnating the walls of a wooden house. Such glazing compounds preserve the texture and color of wood by creating a transparent coating.
You need to choose which paint is best to paint the outside of a wooden house, taking into account the properties of the paint and varnish products.
Topcoat paints hide the grain of the wood. Therefore, they are used only for low quality boards. Valuable wood is varnished.
How to choose the right façade paint
What paint is better to paint the outside of a wooden house, and what mixture to use for interior finishing work. Factors to consider before purchasing coverage:
- the place where the building is located;
- climate of the region;
- wood species;
- deadline for repainting;
- the presence of a previous layer of paint.
In addition, paint for woodwork must be manufactured taking into account GOST standards.
A good composition has:
- UV resistance;
- durability.
Color selection
Before deciding what color to paint a wooden house, pay attention to the style of construction. The outer and inner parts should be in harmony in design.
The facades of houses built in the classical style are not painted in bed colors. And for buildings with an English bias, bright and rich colors are not suitable.
When building country cottages, the style of the buildings is set by the contractor. Therefore, you have to choose what color to paint the facade based on basic recommendations.
Features of colors:
- black color fades quickly;
- dark colors are suitable for large-sized facades;
- white color turns yellow;
- light shades resist UV;
- bright colors are annoying, but their tones look good in warm regions;
- in cold climates, calm shades are used.
All facade paints have different film-forming components. The strength of the coating depends on the composition.
Painting the outside of an old house
Painting the outside of an old wooden house is not an easy task, since the walls already have a previous layer of coating. But if it is well preserved and not cracked, then you can paint over it. The main thing is to correctly determine the type of composition previously applied. And also select a new composition taking into account its features.
The very first dwellings for representatives of the human race were caves. People began to use trees to build their houses much later, when they realized that wood has a huge number of advantages. Wooden buildings have low thermal conductivity, retain heat well inside and are able to maintain their performance characteristics for several decades.
Unfortunately, previously people had absolutely no idea that wooden buildings needed a protective covering, which led to the fact that a huge number of wooden monuments could not survive to this day. If then people could only imagine that a wooden structure could simply be painted on the outside, giving it not only an attractive appearance, but also protecting it from wood-destroying bugs or other microorganisms, they would certainly have done it.
It’s good that modern people know everything about how to protect their wooden home. Well, the information presented in this article will help you find out more about the best way to paint the outside of a wooden house.
Why does wood age?
In order to understand the reasons for the aging of wood, you should become familiar with the factors that contribute to the destruction of natural material:
- Wood is a natural living material that is subject to aging processes, like all living things. A tree is not able to fight such natural processes, but with human help they can be significantly slowed down;
- Wooden facades are seriously affected by atmospheric conditions, such as moisture and ultraviolet radiation in close symbiosis with mold and other fungi or microorganisms.
Note!
The results of natural influences, fungal formations or the destructive activity of microorganisms can be noticed on a wooden surface within a few weeks after the construction of the structure.
Wet influences in the form of snow or rain lead to swelling of the surface, but this process is reversible during drying. As a result of such changes in the dimensions of the material, cracks appear on the surface, inside of which the fungus begins to grow.
Moreover, the fungus can be different, if, for example, the blue fungus and mold varieties can only spoil the external attractiveness of the surface, then the rot fungus leads to its destruction from the inside, and the cost of repairing damaged wooden walls can be very high;
- Also, do not forget about insects, such as bark beetles. The owners of a wooden building may not be aware of such neighbors, because... insects can remain dormant for about 2-3 years;
- Atmospheric loads that can have a serious impact on buildings located in open spaces or in the coastal zone;
Note!
The north side of the building is much less susceptible to such negative influences than the west and south.
As can be seen from the listed reasons, there are a huge number of factors contributing to the destruction of wooden surfaces. That is why any good owner should be concerned with the question of how to paint the outside of a wooden house? The choice must be made taking into account whether it is an old building or whether you are going to.
Painting a new house
Let's say you built a brand new wooden house on the entire site and now you want to paint it. Let's try to figure out what and how this should be done.
Preparatory stage of work
Before you begin applying paint, the surface must be specially prepared, for which the following instructions must be followed:
- Using a soft brush and sprayer, clean the surface from dust and other small particles;
- If blue stains or mold are noticed on the surface, they must be removed using chemicals specially designed for this purpose;
- If there is resin on the surface, it must be removed with a spatula, and the place where it was found should be treated with varnish to paint over the knots;
- Metal elements on the surface, such as, for example, nail heads, must be coated with a metal primer;
- After completing this work, the tree needs rest for 10-15 days;
He will lie. During the rest period, the wood should be covered with a film, making holes in it for the material to breathe.
If work is carried out in the warm season, then such a “blanket” is not required.
How to coat wood
There are three main materials intended for painting wood:
- Antiseptic. These products are endowed with high penetrating ability (penetration depth of about 7 mm). Such a coating provides reliable protection against weather conditions, rot and mold.
Antiseptics are:- Glaze (transparent) - preserve the wood texture, pattern and give the material a noble shade;
- Covering (opaque) - do not preserve the wood grain, but qualitatively emphasize the surface relief;
- Acrylate paints demonstrate high resistance to weather conditions and retain a pleasant glossy sheen for a long time. This paint is quite elastic, it does not crack and at the same time allows the wood to breathe;
- Oil paints. This coating, like acrylate, is endowed with excellent resistance to all the surprises of nature and at the same time has deep penetration, like antiseptics. The disadvantage of the coating is the long drying time.
It is absolutely natural that even the best paint, the one with the highest price, has a certain shelf life.
Submitted must be updated after the following period:
- Glazing antiseptic – 5 years;
- Covering antiseptic – 7 years;
- Acrylate paints – 10 years;
- Oil paints – 6 years.
These terms, of course, are average; you yourself will be able to notice when your façade will need to be re-coated.
Painting a new house
Applying paint does not require special skills and craftsmanship, so every owner can carry out this procedure with their own hands.
But there are a couple of nuances that should still be taken into account when working with paints and varnishes:
- Primer. An antiseptic primer is very important to protect wood. If you still think that this stage of work can be skipped, then get ready for the fact that in two years, and most likely even earlier, you will greatly regret your decision. You shouldn't skimp on primer, because... it will extend the life of the coating;
- Painting. The paint is applied only to a completely dry surface in several layers. Each layer must be dried separately.
Let's paint the facade of an old wooden building
If your house is no longer new and blue spots have appeared on its facade, you have noticed peeling of the old coating or other defects, then it’s time to update, giving the building a chance for a new life. The only question left to answer is, how to paint the outside of an old wooden house?
In case of complete repainting, be sure to use the same type of material that was used to create the old coating.
Advice. Ideally, you should use the same paint, from the same manufacturer.
If you purchased a house and don’t know what it was painted with, try to independently determine the type of coating based on the following characteristics:
- The acrylate coating is tactile and externally reminiscent of leather, usually cracking along the wood fibers;
- Oil finishes lose their glossy shine over time and may leave a slight mark on the skin when touched. Cracking of such material occurs along or in the form of cells;
- Antiseptics become thinner over time, and besides, these coatings can be repainted with either oil or acrylate paint.
In addition to visual inspection of the surface, you can determine the type of coating by performing the following experiment. Tear off a small piece of the coating from the surface and try to roll it into a tube. If it curls, it means acrylate paints were used. And if the coating literally crumbles in your hands, then it was created by an oil-based material.
The process of painting old and new wooden facades is no different, but there are some significant differences in the surface preparation procedure.
Preparing the wooden facade of an old building
The preparatory process for an old facade with an existing coating consists of the following activities:
- Cleaning the facade from hanging fragments of old paint, dirt and dust using a scraper or brush;
- Removing mold stains using a special product;
- Wet cleaning of walls using a rag and a spray bottle;
Advice. To ensure better surface adhesion, it should be treated with an alkaline detergent.
- To maintain the pleasant appearance of the building, it is necessary to replace rotten and twisted boards with new ones;
- If the paint fragments adhere well to the surface and do not peel off, you can leave them.
If you have a lot of free time, then it would be more advisable to replace surface cleaning with a scraper and brush with a procedure called “chemical peeling”. Using this method, you can preserve the wood grain much better.
Painting the facade of both an old building and a new building is undoubtedly a necessary and important procedure. With the help of high-quality coating, you can not only make your home durable, but also give it a beautiful appearance to the delight of passers-by and the envy of your neighbors.
The instructions clearly presented in the video in this article will allow you to consolidate the information you have received and gain new useful knowledge.