Spruce Up Cypress Weatherboards With A Fresh Coat Of Paint
Posted on: 9 February 2016
Cypress weatherboards bring practicality and rustic charm to a home, but over time, the weather can cause damage to a painted finish, leaving your weatherboards looking shabby and tired. However, with a few basic DIY skills and a little effort, you can freshen up your Cypress weatherboards and bring back your home's kerb appeal. Read on to find out more.
What you'll need
- craft knife
- cellulose tape
- plastic bags
- paint scraper
- household bleach
- power washer
- stiff broom
- exterior paint
- paint roller or brushes
How to do it
- It may be possible to paint over the existing finish on your weatherboards, but the first thing to do is to check that the surface you're planning on painting is sound. You can do this by using a craft knife to slice a small 'X' through the existing paint and then pressing down a strip of cellulose tape across the cut you've made. Rip the tape off and see if the paint comes off with it. If it does, it's unsound and needs to be removed before you can paint.
- Now you'll need to clean the weatherboards. This process will get rid of any clinging dirt and cobwebs, as well as remove mould and mildew and shifting loose paint. Start by using a stiff brush to remove cobwebs and dirt from the boards, paying particular attention to areas underneath the eaves and around gutters.
- Cover up any exterior light fittings using a plastic bag secured with tape. This will protect the lights from water damage during the cleaning process and from paint splats.
- Make up a mild solution of household bleach and water and apply it to the weatherboard using a stiff brush. Give the weatherboards a good scrub, and then use a power washer to rinse the boards and blast away any loose flakes of paint.
- Remove any stubborn old paint using a paint scraper.
- Allow the weatherboards to dry out, and then you're ready to start painting. A good tip is to begin at the top of the area you're working on and work your way down so that you can cover any drips as you go. Paint the underside of the boards first, and then the face using long, horizontal strokes and working from left to right. This technique makes sure that you won't end up with uneven, overlapping areas of paint, which can be tricky to correct.
- Allow the paint to dry completely so that you can see what the end colour and coverage will be, and apply a further coat if necessary.
- Remember to remove the plastic bags and tape from your light fittings.