Painting the outside of a house yourself comes down to six steps: test for lead if the house is a heritage home, wash, scrape and sand, repair and prime, then two topcoats in the right weather. The painting is the quick part. The preparation and the ladder work take the time. A single-storey house with sound paint is a realistic DIY project over several weekends. Two storeys, flaking paint or lead are where most people bring in a painter. For prices and what a professional job includes, see exterior house painting in Auckland.
Can I just paint over old exterior paint?
Yes, if it is sound. Old paint that is clean, firm and not chalky can be washed, lightly sanded and painted with two topcoats. Anything flaking, blistering or powdery must be scraped back first, or the new paint lifts with it. Rub your hand on the wall: if it comes away white with chalk, wash it thoroughly before you paint. Check heritage homes for lead first.
Do the hand test on several walls. In Auckland the north and west walls get the most sun, so they often break down first.
How do you paint the outside of a house, step by step?
The order matters more than the brand of paint. Test for lead, wash, scrape and sand, repair, prime bare timber, fill, then two topcoats. Work from the top down, one wall at a time, and keep ahead of the sun. Each step has to be dry before the next one, so a typical single-storey house takes several weekends for a homeowner.
- Test for lead. Health New Zealand advises presuming lead in paint on any building from the 1980s or earlier. See how to test for lead paint.
- Wash. Remove dirt, salt and mould, and let the house dry completely.
- Scrape and sand loose paint back to a firm edge. If the paint contains lead, use wet methods and catch every flake on a groundsheet.
- Repair. Replace rotten boards and fascia sections. Rot often starts under windowsills and along the bottom boards.
- Prime bare timber with a wood primer. Resene notes that the pre-primer on new timber is only a temporary holding coat.
- Fill nail holes and cracks after priming, then sand the filler smooth.
- Two topcoats. Start at the top and work down, with the drying time on the label between coats.
How do you paint outdoor wood that has gone grey?
Weathered grey timber needs the grey layer removed or bound before you paint, or the paint will not stick for long. Sand it back to sound wood, or use a product made to bind the surface. Resene, for example, recommends its TimberLock instead of sanding on weathered rough-sawn timber, then two coats of exterior paint. Prime bare timber before your topcoats.
When is the best time to paint outside?
Pick a dry, mild day with a gentle breeze. Resene's ideal is about 15 to 20 degrees. Avoid rain, strong direct sun and high wind, and stop early enough for the paint to dry before evening dew. Resene's simple test: if your washing is not drying on the line, your paint won't either. In summer, start on the shady side and work around the house ahead of the sun.
Spring and autumn are often easiest. Winter painting in Auckland is possible, but short days and dew leave fewer good hours, so the job stretches out.
Is it safe to paint the outside of a house yourself?
It can be, on a single-storey house with a sound ladder and someone nearby. The main risks are falls and lead dust. Falls from ladders and roofs are a serious risk, which is why WorkSafe New Zealand sets out how to work safely at height and why painters use scaffolding on two-storey homes. Lead dust from sanding heritage paint is a health risk, especially for children and pets.
If the old paint might contain lead:
- Keep children and pets away from the work area.
- Lay a groundsheet big enough to catch every flake, and close windows and doors.
- Wet-sand or wet-scrape instead of dry sanding. BRANZ advises against power sanding, dry abrasive blasting and open flames on lead paint.
- Wear a properly fitted dust respirator, and wash your hands and face before you eat.
More on lead paint on heritage homes.
How long does it take to paint a house exterior yourself?
For a homeowner, a single-storey house usually takes several weekends, often more, because of drying times and the weather. Preparation can take as long as the painting. For comparison, Auckland painting businesses publish estimates of three to seven working days for the exterior of a typical home with a crew, and they work full days with scaffolding already up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I paint my house a dark colour?
You can, but dark colours absorb more heat, which can make timber move and paint fail sooner. Resene advises care with dark colours on old previously painted timber and in exposed spots, and its CoolColour versions reflect more heat. Many cladding makers set limits on how dark you can go, so check with them first. See exterior house colour schemes.
Is it okay to cut in one day and paint the next?
Yes, with most acrylic exterior paints, as long as you keep to the recoat time on the label and the surface stays clean and dry overnight. Outside, it is often easier to finish one wall at a time, cutting in and painting it in the same session, so the edges blend and the wall is done before the weather changes.
Do I need scaffolding to paint a two-storey house?
For most two-storey houses, yes. Working off a ladder at that height is slow and a serious fall risk. WorkSafe New Zealand sets out how to work safely at height, and painters usually put up scaffolding for two-storey jobs. Auckland businesses publish scaffolding prices of roughly $800 to $5,000, depending on the size of the house and how long it stays up.
How do professional painters paint so fast?
They prepare everything before they open a tin, work in a team, use scaffolding instead of moving ladders, and often spray large walls with an airless sprayer. They also know how much paint to load and how to cut a straight line in one pass. That is why a crew can finish in days what takes a homeowner weekends.
Started and over it?
The ladder's out, one wall is scraped, and the rest of the house is staring at you. That's a normal place to stop. Tell us what's done and what's left, and we'll arrange a free estimate to finish the job.