Painting could be pain or an absolute pleasure. It all depends on how well you plan and prepare.

Like any other task, whether it is planning a dinner party for 50 or a picnic for 6, the success of your plan to perfection will all depend on the degree preparation you put in, and painting is no exception. A lot should go into achieving a beautiful paint job, long before the first brush stroke is made.

So, what’s in a plan? Your plan should be like the road map you follow, step by step, until you reach your destination. One of the first things you’ll need to do is to decide what it is you’re going to paint. Let’s say you’re re-painting the exterior walls of your home; where should you begin?

The first step would be to determine the current condition of the walls. First, check for excessive moisture, such as water seeping into the walls, possibly from a broken drain pipe, some worn caulk between the window seams or some other contributing factor. Moisture can cause all kinds of problems and should be resolved before going any further. So, you’ll need to repair any leaking pipes and cracks in the walls.

Next, check the surface other problems like fungus and algae. Failure to deal with these problems before you paint can potentially destroy, in a short time, all that you would have worked so hard to accomplish in the new paint job. Berger recommends Sterilizing Solution to treat both fungus and algae.

If you were painting for the first time, you would need to ensure that the concrete has been allowed to cure for at least 45 days before starting the paint job, unless of course you applied Berger Luxatex, primer made especially for priming and sealing “green” concrete. But, if you’re repainting, then you need to check only for other surface problems, such as efflorescence or chalking. Each of these problems has a specific Berger solution and treatment. Contact your Berger Technical Representative and let them identify the surface problems, provide solutions, and determine how much of each product you will need, in a free written estimate. This information will allow you not only to have a good gauge of exactly what you will need, but, most of all how much you will need to budget for.

If you’re planning on painting in different colours, try to purchase the full amount for each specific colour. Ask the store attendant to give you all you will need from the same batch number. This is to ensure that you will get consistently the same colour. If they cannot give you all from the same batch, be sure to intermix the total in each colour, so as to ensure colour consistency. Don’t forget to allow a little extra, no more than 5% for wastage, spillage and unexpected surface porosity.

With all of the problems now solved, and your walls dry, clean and free from dirt and grease, the next step is to prepare to prime the surface. For longer term durability, Berger recommends one primer coat and two topcoats. Some paint brands promote on-coat applications, but the more layers you have, the greater number of layers the sun, rain and wind will need to break through to damage the surface beneath.

A great primer to use is Berger Grip & Seal, because not only is it a pure acrylic primer, but also a sealer with rust-inhibiting properties. Also, it’s versatile, being made for application to both wall and wood, which means that you can use it to prime your walls, eaves, any other woodwork and even metal that you may be painting. Buying one type of primer makes it easier than having to purchase 3 types of primer.

Before your prime however, you will need to cover and protect those areas that are not a part of your painting plan. Use drop cloths or plastic sheets. Use painter’s tape to ensure you paint only those areas for the intended paint. Remember that two thin coats are better than one thick coat, which may sag and not dry properly, creating other problems. So follow the label directions for application and drying time of primers before applying your topcoats.

So, what topcoat should you use? Berger recommends Weatherproof Ultra for a number of reasons; such as ease of application, fast drying time and superior resistance to fungus, algae, peeling, cracking and flaking, all of which are backed by Berger 7-year warranty when applied according to recommendations. More often than not the more expensive paint proves to be less expensive per year in the long run, than repainting every 3 years. Let’s say, for example, that one paint job costs $6000.00 in paint and labour and will last 4 years; that equates to $1,500.00 per year. If the same job was done using a different paint with a 7 year life at a cost of $8000.00, the annual cost would be $1,143.00. So while the longer lasting paint would cost more at the outset, the annual cost would work out to less, which means that the home owner looking for long term durability should go for the more durable coating because it will give a longer repainting cycle and cost less per year in maintenance.

As far as the finish goes, as a rule, the higher the sheen, the higher the durability of the paint in protecting the surface against the elements. Satin is fine for shingles or clapboards, but you’ll want gloss paint to protect high-traffic parts of a house, such as window casings, porches, and doorframes.

If you’re going from one light colour to another, you may be able to get away with applying only one coat, especially if the existing coat is in good condition and you merely want to have a fresh new look. Otherwise, Berger recommends applying two topcoats, and in some cases with very dark colours, you may need to add a third coat of paint. One good way to reduce costs and materials would be to use a tinted primer as the base coat, then two standard topcoats.