Learn about exterior painting & decorating services
In the warmer months, we carry out a lot of exterior painting. It can vary from just part of a townhouse to seaside cottages to million-dollar mansions.
The season for exterior painting runs roughly from October to end of May however the Wellington weather can be unpredictable and we’ve had some of the most settled periods during the winter months allowing for some great painting conditions.
Learn More About Exterior Painting Services
It’s very important to ascertain the integrity of the original paint system to avoid problems down the track.
This is especially critical when using new paint technologies that allow coatings to flex and move with changing temperature and moisture conditions which can pull on weaker paint layers in the original sometimes multiple paint systems. This can cause future bubbling and blistering that can be a real challenge to rectify later.
At A.J. Wilkins Painters we do our best to check from the start which is the best option to take in terms of preparation and will conduct an adhesion test and advise if where necessary areas need to be stripped right back to bare, partially or if the original painted surface can be keyed up and painted over. It`s also important to conduct a lead test at the start as well to take the right precautions to minimise the spread of potentially harmful dust and paint scrapings through the prep phase.
Should the substrate require stripping we utilise our preparation tools and systems, which include an Alderson Sander (water fed motorised prep tool) and a chemical stripper applicator. Both these methods reduce the spread of dry airborne harmful particulates.
Once we have the substrate clean dry and ready to paint we apply the correct primers, fill all holes, caulk gaps then follow on with undercoats and topcoats in accordance with the Resene One-line Specification or if our clients choose a different system we adhere to the correct datasheets accordingly.
Application methods include brush, roller, airless spraying and HVLP spraying depending on conditions, the substrate being painted and the product being used.
All surfaces are prepared and primed to the correct specification and holes and gaps are filled with proven appropriate fillers then re-primed prior to the topcoat system being applied.
Topcoats can have different gloss-levels and can be made to match existing or changed to suit the substrate or architecture. Colour shades and intensity is another important aspect to consider, as dark colours can heat up the substrate causing problems in the future.
New generation “Cool Colours “technology can reduce this problem allowing dark colours to perform on surfaces such as weatherboards and Acrylic based enamels are proving superior to the old oil-based paints as they can flex with substrates such as timber windows and doors and maintain their performance. We recommend and use only premium quality products that have proved to stand New Zealand’s changeable and challenging conditions.
Scaffolding services
At A.J. Wilkins Painters we have our own dedicated yard to accommodate our plant and scaffold. Scaffolding includes a freestanding steel frame system for a three-plank platform that forms multi-level bays and lifts.
For more customising access around uneven or tight site situations, we use the traditional tube and clip system. This service can save our clients considerably as we can scaffold to suit the painting project safely and quickly.
Access is important to get right especially around heights both for our workers and our clients. As we have our own scaffold equipment, we can customise the access to be completely safe, economical and to ensure a top-quality result.