Preparing & painting pebble-dashed wall

FrankGrimes

I need to paint the back of my house that was built in 1949. It’s pebbledashed and I don’t believe it was ever painted.

What’s the best way to prepare the surface (quite dirty) for painting? I was planning on power washing and then using a sealer of some sort so the paint doesn’t just soak straight in – what sealer, if any, should I use? I was then planning on wrapping plastic around all drainpipes and taping up under the soffits etc.

I’ll be using plain old magnolia masonary paint – what’s the best way to apply it to this very uneven surface – deep pile roller, hired spray painter (what type?), or something else? Thanks for the help.

mad m

I would use Stabling solution to seal it up after you power wash it. But first do a test with the powerwasher as I know one or two people tried it and it lifted the dashing off altogether. The Stabling solution can be got in either a water based solution or oil based one. This is like water,so be prepared for splashes and dont let it get on glass...Cover

Couple of ways to paint the dashing,

Brush: it can take a time but at least you know its getting in there.Least amount of paint will be used.

Deep Pile Roller: My favorite method I have to say,cover everything and depending on what brand you use, you can let it out a bit with water.Fleetwood tends to be very round(Thick) and hard to work with. Dulux straight out of bucket,also same would be Santex smooth. Get a good sturdy roller pole,you will need it.

Spray: Airless spray,very powerfull and you will need a lot of paint,spray can use up a lot. Remember to cover everything,including your neighbours and there neighbours property,especially if windy. Also tape up the windows with some newspaper or lining paper. It can be hard to hold a spray gun off a ladder,you will get spray back. Think though you can get a less powerfull one. A lot of cleaning out is required after you have finished. This is the fastest method,but preparation is key.

Dulux have a pump spray you put paint in and you pump it full of air and hit a button. I've not used it but again have heard stories were you need to cover everything. Its a bit like the fence spray you see on tv.

If you go with roller,roll the majority first then cut it in,then give it a second coat...

Hate dashing so goodluck!

Wertz

Dashing....bleuugh.
Spray it....been down the road of stabbing it with a brush for hours and/or attempting to roll it. It's a physically tiring, blister inducing son of a bitch of a job.
I too have heard mixed reports about powerwashing dash...with a very heavy dash, the pressure from some washers may just blow the dashing off in places.

As for sealing it....stabiliser is pretty expensive IIRC and it's an extra layer to be applied so more work....I much prefer the use of an additive like EB by Owatrol. It mixes with masonry paint to provide a more rubberised coat that is much moire resistant to peeling Use it ONLY in the prime coat to avoid disasters,
Hire an airless sprayer, preferably one with a self priming pump (make sure you get an extension for the gun), look out for a calm day, get your neighbours cars the hell off the street and bag/mask eveything. The trick with spraying is to thin your paint well and put on at least 4 coats rather than trying to get it to spray up in two thick coats which does nothing but waste paint.
There are loads of sites out there dealing with spray techniques....sparying itself isn't difficult, especially a surface like dashing....it's the preparation and cleaning of equipment that is the hard part. All the best with it whatever you decide.

Reyman

FrankGrimes wrote:

What’s the best way to prepare the surface (quite dirty) for painting? I was planning on power washing and then using a sealer of some sort so the paint doesn’t just soak straight in – what sealer, if any, should I use? I was then planning on wrapping plastic around all drainpipes and taping up under the soffits etc.

I wouldn't use a power washer unless you're prepared to wait a week or two for the wall to dry. Maybe hose and brush it down that should get most of the dirt off.
A brush does the best job for painting - lots of dabbing. Long and slow I know, but looks great after two coats and lasts a long long time