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6
Apr

Exterior Painting Edinburgh

HomeForce provides reliable Edinburgh decorators for exterior Painting in Edinburgh. Call us now on: – 0131 315 0000

It is highly recommended that exterior painting work in Edinburgh is carried out between April & October. In fact many Edinburgh decorators will not schedule exterior painting outside of these months. In this article we have tried to explain why that is (it’s not just because decorators don’t like to get rained on!).  Also included are some tips specific to exterior painting in Edinburgh to help you get the best value / keep costs down.

And finally, we’ve provided some price guidance for common outdoor painting jobs. We would ask you to please keep in mind that these costs are only for a little bit of guidance to help budgeting. Please also note that we are happy to give a bit of guidance when we feel we can we are unable to provide “over the phone” quotes or estimates – read why here.

Why is exterior painting in Edinburgh best done from April to October?

The weather is, of course, the main reason, but there is more to it than just not wanting to work outside in cold and wet. Firstly there is the desire of most reputable painters to deliver a finish that lasts and secondly it’s a desire to avoid scheduling chaos when trying to do outdoor work in the unpredictable Edinburgh climate.

  • Avoiding a poor quality finish that doesn’t last

A key goal for any reputable decorator is to deliver a durable, long-lasting finish (it’s why preparation is a the most important part of any painting job). Bad, or the wrong, weather seriously threatens that outcome. The consequences of painting in the wrong weather (and in fact leaving paint to dry in the wrong weather) will most likely manifest itself as bubbling or flaking and water marks or other discolouration. These can be caused by:

      • Rain or any excessive moisture including from fog and dew falling onto a surface being painted, or that is freshly painted
      • Low temperatures (anything below 5 degrees C can be detrimental to paints before they fully cure)
      • Blazing direct sun, that causes paint to dry too fast and then crack.

Why this matters. Problems caused by painting in the “wrong weather” may not become apparent for quite some time. However, when tins of paint come displaying 8 year guarantees (as Dulux Weathershield does) and paint starts to disintegrate after, say, just four years. Customers may (with justification) believe the painter did a poor job. For the decorator this can lead to costly call backs (long after the job is finished), reputational damage and the stress of appeasing an unhappy customer.

Paints like Delux Weathershield, while quick drying to the touch (1 – 2 hours) may need 7 to 14 days to fully cure and become weather resistant; a time that extents in the colder, wetter days between October and April. Applying the paint in the wrong weather not only risks affecting the durability but can also void warranties. Click Here to read more of the technical do’s & don’ts of Dulux Paints.

  • Avoiding scheduling chaos

Bad weather doesn’t just impact the quality of exterior painting – it throws a decorators schedule into disarray, which in turn leads to dissatisfied customers who assume unreliability. Here’s the challenge:

      • Decorators can’t do exterior work in poor weather and customers won’t pay them to sit around waiting for the weather to clear.
      • Most decorators are self-employed, or are small firms who are only earning when they are working, so they can’t afford to sit around waiting for the weather to clear.
      • To ensure they are earning money as much as possible decorators take on indoor jobs
      • But when the sun returns they can’t drop everything immediately from the indoor job, they need to finish it or at least get it to a stage that it can be left
      • Meanwhile the exterior job client expects the work for them to start immediately now that the weather has improved.

This juggling act becomes especially difficult from October to April when weather is not only unpredictable but also not conducive to exterior painting in the first place (as outlined above)

  • In Summary

Exterior painting in Edinburgh is best scheduled between April and October to ensure long lasting results, avoid costly rework and to keep both customer and decorators happy.

Tips for Exterior Painting in Edinburgh

  1. Don’t leave it too late
    • Once paint has flaked off and bare wood or masonry is exposed the elements start getting in.
    • This will make the repainting significantly more expensive as more preparation will be required.
    • And, in worse cases scenarios may require timber replacement, re rendering or re pointing or even masonry / stone work.
    • Remember the paint is there to protect the surfaces it’s applied to, not just for aesthetics.
  2. Source quotes in winter and early spring
    • Organising quotes in September will almost certainly mean the work can’t be done until the following year – by which time it my have become a bigger, more expensive job.
    • Winter (except for the run up to Christmas) and early (Feb to March) is usually a quieter time for decorators so they have more time to quote.
  3. Preparation is key
    • For a durable finish on external surfaces good preparation is vital (see more here).
    • Expect from 60 to 80 percent of the labour time for outdoor painting to be taken up by torching, scrapping, sanding, filling & stripping.
    • Customers are often surprised by the cost of external painting for relatively small areas. This is due to the amount of preparation required, but without correct preparation the job won’t last nearly as long.
  4. Prime and Caulk
    • These are aspects of the job that are often overlooked by DIYers and less skilled decorators but are critical to the durability of the finish
    • Apply a primer to bare wood to ensure the top coats stick and don’t flake.
    • Caulk gaps to add an extra layer of protection to joints that are most susceptible to water preparation.
  5. Know the Rules
    • Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town are world heritage sites.
    • As such rules apply to what can and can’t be painted, what colours are to be used and how things are to be painted.
    • See here for more.
  6. Buy the right paint
    • Choose the right paint for the job by reading the technical specifications of each paint. Not all information always is provided on the tin, you may need to look on-line.
    • If in doubt your decorator should be able to help.

Example Costs for Exterior Painting in Edinburgh

Every job is different and it’s impossible, without a site visit to give an accurate quote or even an estimate (read why here), but following are examples of recent exterior painting jobs in Edinburgh by HomeForce accredited decorators.

These are for guidance only. Factors affecting the price will include; accessibility, how previous paint was applied (in effect correctly or incorrectly) the condition of the existing paint, the condition of the material to be painted and any changes to colour or stain.

  • £850 – Exterior of front door, 4 windows & ledges: – burn off all existing paint, sand, fill & prepare, prime, undercoat & top coat.
  • £590 – Exterior and Interior of 3 windows, exterior or 1 door: – sand, fill & prepare, undercoat & top coat only
  • £630 – 3m cast balcony railings: – scrape, brush & sand, spot prime, touch up bare metal, undercoat & top coat
  • £385 – 25m of panel fence (Labour only for 2 days)

In Edinburgh exterior painting is a summer job

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