Why painting eaves is essential and how to do it right
The eaves on a house are located on the roof of your home and extend past the edge of the roof to provide shade and protection from the harsh Queensland weather, they are essential to allow water to run off instead of pouring down the side of your home. So now you know what they are, learn why painting eaves is so important.
Start by preparing your eaves
Safety is the first thing to consider when painting something located externally at a height, like the eaves on your home. Make sure your ladder is in the right position, it shouldn’t reach more than three feet beyond the eaves. Your ladder should lean on stable fixtures and should be strong enough to support your weight.
Start the process by washing all surfaces of the eaves with soapy water, rinse off with your hose and then allow them to dry completely. If you’re repainting over existing paint, now is the time to scrape away any sections that are flaking or peeling, and fill in any holes or cracks with a filler. Once you have an even surface, it’s time to sand the eaves and remove all dust. If you’re not painting your gutters, you may choose to remove them or protect with cardboard or painters tape.
Time to choose the paint and primer
The type of paint and colour are crucial to outcome when painting eaves and a lighter colour is best. The external location of your eaves mean that they are likely to get dirty over the years, so we recommend against painting your eaves white. An off-white shade is a better option as it won’t show the dirt as much. If your home is a neutral colour, pick a ¼ strength of the house colour and if your home is a darker shade, choose the lightest colour in the colour family.
The beneficial characteristics you should look for in an external paint include resistance to moisture, won’t fade in direct sunlight and easy to clean. Exterior Acrylic paint is water-based and is designed to handle tough Queensland conditions. We recommend using a low sheen on eaves, as it will hide minor imperfections when they get dirty. Painting on bare timber requires an undercoat, we recommend an oil-based undercoat as it helps to seal the timber. Most likely your eaves won’t be bare timber, so you won’t need an undercoat as water-based exterior paints generally don’t require undercoats as they are self-priming.
Best tools for the job
An airless sprayer is the most efficient way to apply the paint quickly. You may be able to rent a paint sprayer from your local hardware store, and remember to wear a protective respirator mask.
You can also use a paintbrush or roller to apply undercoat and paint, and we recommend a paint brush that is 7.6cm to 10.2cm. You will need to allow 2-4 hours for the first coat to dry before applying your second coat. Remove the painters’ tape. Touch up any spots you may have missed with a small paint brush and remove the painters’ tape.
Tools for preparing your eaves:
- Sponge, bucket and hose
- Paint scraper
- Sandpaper
- Caulk gun to fill holes
- Cardboard and painters’ tape for masking gutters
Tools for painting your eaves:
- Ladder
- Paint sprayer and protective mask
- Paint brush or roller
Things you need to consider:
- Remember it will take 2-4 hours drying time between each coat
- You may need to purchase a few new tools
- Selecting the correct type of paint and undercoat is important to ensure your hard work doesn’t need to be repeated within a year or two
- Safety is crucial when working at heights,
Painting eaves is a great way to freshen up and protect the exterior of your home. It can also be quite time and labour intensive. It is important that the correct methods and tools are used, and that the paint suited to the harsh Queensland weather is applied.
At Kraudelt Painting we are experts in exterior painting in Queensland conditions, and know how to get the best results when painting eaves, so that the finish will last for years. For professional advice and a quote for painting your eaves, give us a call on 07 3829 5735 or send us a message on our contact form.
