DIY painting exterior of 2 storey house (Madness?)
Discussion
Bought a house that was owned by someone approaching 100 so as you can imagine the exterior of the place was fairly neglected.
In Scotland it's quite popular to have harling/roughcast finish. I've had the cracks/loose cement fixed and it now needs painted but the quotes coming in for a semi with extension are approaching 10 grand, which I don't have. If I did have it, it would be to replace the mixed bag of leaky 10-30 year old windows...
Got a few weeks off to myself so thinking a possible DIY job. The guttering to the ground is 6m, the area surrounding house is flat and a 7m triple-extended ladder can be delivered for £240 with another £50 for a ladder stand-off (which can then be used in future for the guttering). Then after that the other costs are just paint, anti-fungal treatment, brushes and dust-sheets then its just my time which i'll have plenty off especially when the kids are off for summer...
Seems a no brainer but I have absolutely zero past experience with working at heights.
So based on other peoples professional or DIY experience, should I give it a go, or just get swallow the costs and get a professional in?
In Scotland it's quite popular to have harling/roughcast finish. I've had the cracks/loose cement fixed and it now needs painted but the quotes coming in for a semi with extension are approaching 10 grand, which I don't have. If I did have it, it would be to replace the mixed bag of leaky 10-30 year old windows...
Got a few weeks off to myself so thinking a possible DIY job. The guttering to the ground is 6m, the area surrounding house is flat and a 7m triple-extended ladder can be delivered for £240 with another £50 for a ladder stand-off (which can then be used in future for the guttering). Then after that the other costs are just paint, anti-fungal treatment, brushes and dust-sheets then its just my time which i'll have plenty off especially when the kids are off for summer...
Seems a no brainer but I have absolutely zero past experience with working at heights.
So based on other peoples professional or DIY experience, should I give it a go, or just get swallow the costs and get a professional in?
If you don't like ladders I rented an access tower for £240/wk from HSS recently as I had to fix some rendering across the front of the house. It was at around 8m and ladders were too difficult and would have taken ages. You could probably buy a secondhand one reasonably but for painting I would just use a ladder and painting pole so you have to move the ladder less. £10k 
Painting harling is messy and uses a lot of paint.
I found on a rough surface, taking my time with a medium brush was best in the long run.
It's not hard though. (but it is 'good exercise').
Last time I did any masonry paint, I spent more time scrubbing the walls with bleach cleaner than actually painting.
It looked so much better after that, I wondered if it really needed paint!, but a few bits had peeled or been attacked by plants etc.
I did most of it using only one section of a two section ladder. Lighter to move around.
Consider a stabiliser bar for the base of the ladder.
Pad the top of the ladder where it touches the wall.
Clean and fettle everything else while you're in ladder mode.
If there's a high gable, consider a tower just for that bit, especially if you need to do more than just washing and painting.
If you do most of it with a ladder, it's cheap enough to hire a tower for just a week.
I've a few mates who do painting they are all booked solid due to last autumn being wet.
I found on a rough surface, taking my time with a medium brush was best in the long run.
It's not hard though. (but it is 'good exercise').
Last time I did any masonry paint, I spent more time scrubbing the walls with bleach cleaner than actually painting.
It looked so much better after that, I wondered if it really needed paint!, but a few bits had peeled or been attacked by plants etc.
I did most of it using only one section of a two section ladder. Lighter to move around.
Consider a stabiliser bar for the base of the ladder.
Pad the top of the ladder where it touches the wall.
Clean and fettle everything else while you're in ladder mode.
If there's a high gable, consider a tower just for that bit, especially if you need to do more than just washing and painting.
If you do most of it with a ladder, it's cheap enough to hire a tower for just a week.
I've a few mates who do painting they are all booked solid due to last autumn being wet.
Definitely DIYable, if you have the time.
Like the above, I would recommend hiring a tower if you can - I know the PH ‘elf and safety gone mad’ brigade will be along in a minute to say that real men use ladders, but it’s far safer and more comfortable for long spells.
Even with the hire cost you should still make a substantial saving, and it’s a very satisfying job.
Like the above, I would recommend hiring a tower if you can - I know the PH ‘elf and safety gone mad’ brigade will be along in a minute to say that real men use ladders, but it’s far safer and more comfortable for long spells.
Even with the hire cost you should still make a substantial saving, and it’s a very satisfying job.
I'm going to go one further than a tower, having just spent a week working at 9m height, if you have the ground around the house to make it feasible then I would hire a boom lift, it'll be much more secure than ladders or a tower, more mobile and hence you'll get the job done much quicker.
I wouldn't bother with a tower or anything else for 2 story eaves height, unless there was some serious access problem.
A ladder is much quicker to move along the wall.
Ridge height, I get a bit more nervous, the ladder becomes a longer heavier bendier thing etc.
3 storey ridge height I really want a tower, but a pro with a big ladder and maybe an accomplice will be happy enough.
It's also worth having smaller steps or hop-ups for the lower bits, it saves time and avoids contact with the wall.
A tower comes into its own when you've got filling, chipping, drilling etc to do.
Unless the ground is level and solid concrete, a tower needs putting on pads every time you move it and that gets slow!
Towers seem a lot safer, but really they need just as much care as ladders.
A ladder is much quicker to move along the wall.
Ridge height, I get a bit more nervous, the ladder becomes a longer heavier bendier thing etc.
3 storey ridge height I really want a tower, but a pro with a big ladder and maybe an accomplice will be happy enough.
It's also worth having smaller steps or hop-ups for the lower bits, it saves time and avoids contact with the wall.
A tower comes into its own when you've got filling, chipping, drilling etc to do.
Unless the ground is level and solid concrete, a tower needs putting on pads every time you move it and that gets slow!
Towers seem a lot safer, but really they need just as much care as ladders.
NaePasaran said:
Bought a house that was owned by someone approaching 100 so as you can imagine the exterior of the place was fairly neglected.
In Scotland it's quite popular to have harling/roughcast finish. I've had the cracks/loose cement fixed and it now needs painted but the quotes coming in for a semi with extension are approaching 10 grand, which I don't have. If I did have it, it would be to replace the mixed bag of leaky 10-30 year old windows...
Got a few weeks off to myself so thinking a possible DIY job. The guttering to the ground is 6m, the area surrounding house is flat and a 7m triple-extended ladder can be delivered for £240 with another £50 for a ladder stand-off (which can then be used in future for the guttering). Then after that the other costs are just paint, anti-fungal treatment, brushes and dust-sheets then its just my time which i'll have plenty off especially when the kids are off for summer...
Seems a no brainer but I have absolutely zero past experience with working at heights.
So based on other peoples professional or DIY experience, should I give it a go, or just get swallow the costs and get a professional in?
we just got scaffold put up for about 1500 and did all the eaves / woodwork / guttering in one go. In Scotland it's quite popular to have harling/roughcast finish. I've had the cracks/loose cement fixed and it now needs painted but the quotes coming in for a semi with extension are approaching 10 grand, which I don't have. If I did have it, it would be to replace the mixed bag of leaky 10-30 year old windows...
Got a few weeks off to myself so thinking a possible DIY job. The guttering to the ground is 6m, the area surrounding house is flat and a 7m triple-extended ladder can be delivered for £240 with another £50 for a ladder stand-off (which can then be used in future for the guttering). Then after that the other costs are just paint, anti-fungal treatment, brushes and dust-sheets then its just my time which i'll have plenty off especially when the kids are off for summer...
Seems a no brainer but I have absolutely zero past experience with working at heights.
So based on other peoples professional or DIY experience, should I give it a go, or just get swallow the costs and get a professional in?
Cow Corner said:
Definitely DIYable, if you have the time.
Like the above, I would recommend hiring a tower if you can - I know the PH ‘elf and safety gone mad’ brigade will be along in a minute to say that real men use ladders, but it’s far safer and more comfortable for long spells.
Even with the hire cost you should still make a substantial saving, and it’s a very satisfying job.
I'd consider buying a tower if you can find somewhere to store it: https://www.ladders-999.co.uk/domestic-steel-tower... handy for future jobs. Drill and resin some threaded fixing housings.Like the above, I would recommend hiring a tower if you can - I know the PH ‘elf and safety gone mad’ brigade will be along in a minute to say that real men use ladders, but it’s far safer and more comfortable for long spells.
Even with the hire cost you should still make a substantial saving, and it’s a very satisfying job.
OutInTheShed said:
I wouldn't bother with a tower or anything else for 2 story eaves height, unless there was some serious access problem.
A ladder is much quicker to move along the wall.
Ridge height, I get a bit more nervous, the ladder becomes a longer heavier bendier thing etc.
3 storey ridge height I really want a tower, but a pro with a big ladder and maybe an accomplice will be happy enough.
It's also worth having smaller steps or hop-ups for the lower bits, it saves time and avoids contact with the wall.
A tower comes into its own when you've got filling, chipping, drilling etc to do.
Unless the ground is level and solid concrete, a tower needs putting on pads every time you move it and that gets slow!
Towers seem a lot safer, but really they need just as much care as ladders.
I have to disagree with this. We did our house (rough cast) from a tower and odd parts from a ladder. Towers are safer, you have two free hands, you can place the pot and tray down somewhere. We were lucky, the ground was solid all around our house, so we could wheel the tower around. We also had multiple levels on the tower and it was 1.9m wide. There was so much up and down with a ladder, I never felt safe and I was being stupid, reaching too much to finish a small bit.A ladder is much quicker to move along the wall.
Ridge height, I get a bit more nervous, the ladder becomes a longer heavier bendier thing etc.
3 storey ridge height I really want a tower, but a pro with a big ladder and maybe an accomplice will be happy enough.
It's also worth having smaller steps or hop-ups for the lower bits, it saves time and avoids contact with the wall.
A tower comes into its own when you've got filling, chipping, drilling etc to do.
Unless the ground is level and solid concrete, a tower needs putting on pads every time you move it and that gets slow!
Towers seem a lot safer, but really they need just as much care as ladders.
You will use a lot of paint, though. We went through 14 x 5L tins at £45 per tin. Plus proper, thick rollers and loads of ground sheets.
Having personally painted my last house cyclically for almost 30 years (roughcast and 23 timber sash windows), I decided I wanted to do it for the last time in Summer 2023 and we recently moved to a stone house.
I would strongly recommend getting its scaffolded, it makes the whole job so much easier and safer - I did a cash deal for £1,500 and it was absolutely worth it.
I used Weathertex masonary paint on the roughcast - it's very good paint and when I past the old gaff the other week it still loodk freshly painted after almost 2 years.
It's all in the prep and something of a ball ache (but made less so with a scaffold) but strangely satisfying when you see the final result.
I would strongly recommend getting its scaffolded, it makes the whole job so much easier and safer - I did a cash deal for £1,500 and it was absolutely worth it.
I used Weathertex masonary paint on the roughcast - it's very good paint and when I past the old gaff the other week it still loodk freshly painted after almost 2 years.
It's all in the prep and something of a ball ache (but made less so with a scaffold) but strangely satisfying when you see the final result.
Forget doing it off a ladder, not a chance. Use some of your saving to hire or get yourself a scaffold tower. Something like
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/first-5-presto-diy...
Available cheaper elsewhere.
I've the full 7m version (you need the outriggers at that height) it's light and very fast to put up and down so you use it for everything rather risking a ladder.
Low height up in 5 minutes, full 7 metres in under 20 minutes once you've got the hang. Half the time to dismantle.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/first-5-presto-diy...
Available cheaper elsewhere.
I've the full 7m version (you need the outriggers at that height) it's light and very fast to put up and down so you use it for everything rather risking a ladder.
Low height up in 5 minutes, full 7 metres in under 20 minutes once you've got the hang. Half the time to dismantle.
Arnold Cunningham said:
My mother, who must've been 50 at the time, painted our 2-storey family home from ladders. Vaguely recall she might also have done it a 2nd time aged 55ish. And the chap who painted our house did it off ladders. So eminently doable.
Also eminently dieable.....you pay your money, you take your choice. Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff