Gapping Cracks

This photo is a good example of what not to do if you are filling cracks, Use a water based filler(Like Polyfil No More Gaps),not silicone,(It cannot be painted over!) Smooth it out immediatly after applying with a wet finger or rag. It dries very quick and can be painted over in a matter of minutes.

Mould

Mould is caused by numerous things,so the important thing is, DONT PAINT OVER IT ,without killing it first. Just normal household bleach or liquid chlorine does a good job. Just mix approx 1part bleach/chlorine to 4 parts water and spray it on the affected area, Leave for 5/10 mins and wash off with a broom or rag. Hose it off with water and you can paint with acrylic paint within the hour.

Rusty Nailhead

This is a rusted nailhead and if not treated will come back through after painting. First of all,the nail must be punched below the surface, Linseed oil based putty must be used (Not acrylic gaps)to fill it. An oil based undercoat is recomended before the finishing top coats.

Rusty Handrail

This is typical of rust taking hold of handrails etc, This can be fixed and prevented from rusting again. There are a lot of rust inhibitors on the market, but I use a product called Penetrol. Clean the rust up with a wire brush and sandpaper and remove all you can. Brush the Penetrol on the rusted areas, making sure you don't miss any. Leave on overnight and apply a coat of oil undercoat, Let dry overnight Then apply your top coats. It is recommended to apply Oil based top coats..

Sanding

This old paint has to be removed by sanding with a power sander, Please remember to test the old paint for lead content. If you don't know how, go to http://www.lead.org.au/   to get more information.The timber can then be undercoated with an oil based primer. (Nowadays a premium exterior acrylic that blocks Tannin stains does a nice job) Putty the nail holes, then a light sand by hand with sandpaper to removed furry bits. Apply 2 coats of exterior Acrylic paint of the sheen you require. More Photos

Stains

This is what we call a hard wood stain,(Tannin) This will bleed through normal acrylic paint and needs to be undercoated first with an oil based. The premium exterior on the market today will normally cover this, but it will be wise to try first or buy a paint that covers Tannin stains.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper can easily be taken off by tearing the top layer of paper off, Take off as much as you can so that the paper underneath is visible. Using a garden sprayer, mix a bottle of methalated spirits with a approx 6 litres of warm water Make sure you put rolled up towels at the base of the wall to protect the carpet. Spray the walls until they are wet and the water is soaking into the paper Have a cup of coffee and spray the walls once again, Now it should be very easy to remove the wallpaper without damaging the walls. Make sure you remove all the glue by scrubbing, and to be sure scrub it again. If you don't get all the glue off, the acrylic paint that you apply will bubble up. I like to apply an oil based undercoat just in case. If you find you have damaged the walls or the previous person has done the damage. I use a filler called Cornice cement or Base coat, this is the one that the plasterers use. You can buy it at the hardware or plasterers shop (Cheap) Use a wide blade to fill all the scrapes and gouges and let dry, sand off with fine sandpaper, seal the patches and your ready to paint. More Photos

Window Putty

To get this rough putty back to an acceptable standard, it has to be removed or sanded straight. Then reputtied with Linseed oil based putty. Wait a couple of days before you paint it., Apply 1/2 coats of Oil based undercoat (24 hours in between coats on all oil based paints) Followed by 1/2 coats of good quality Gloss enamel. More Photos

Wrinkled paint

This is caused by applying oil based paints before they are properly cured The only way to fix it is to strip it back to bare with a power sander or paint stripper Apply an oil based undercoat,followed by the required top coats. To prevent it happening again,allow the required time drying between coats. Dont forget to allow more time for cold/wet days. Dont apply your enamel to thick.