Masonry Painting

Bringing Old Render Back to Life

There is a particular kind of tired exterior that almost every street in Middlesbrough has at least one example of: a rendered house with paint that has gone chalky, faded patchily, and started to flake at the edges. The render itself is usually still sound — render systems last decades — but the paint film is past its useful life. Rather than re-rendering the whole house at huge expense, the right answer in almost every case is a proper repaint with quality masonry paint, on a properly prepared surface. Done well, it transforms the appearance of the property and gives another seven to ten years of clean, weather-resistant finish.

We carry out masonry painting across Middlesbrough on rendered houses, pebbledashed houses, and brick houses where painted brickwork has been the traditional finish. We also apply masonry creme — a clear breathable water-repellent for unpainted brick — for customers who want to protect their brickwork from driving rain without changing its appearance. The work is heavily weather-dependent and we plan around dry spells; we will not put masonry paint on a damp wall.

What We Do on a Typical Masonry Paint Job

A good masonry paint job is about 60 per cent preparation and 40 per cent painting. Cut corners on preparation and the new paint will be peeling within two years. Below is the typical sequence we follow for a full repaint of a render or pebbledash exterior.

• Pressure wash the entire exterior to remove dirt, algae and loose paint
• Treat any algae or fungal growth with a biocide solution
• Scrape and feather any flaking or blistering paint to a sound edge
• Repair small cracks and damaged render with proprietary patch material
• Apply a stabilising solution to chalky or absorbent surfaces
• Sheet up windows, doors, paths and adjacent areas
• Apply two full coats of quality masonry paint, allowing proper drying time between
• Cut in carefully around windows, doors and pipework
• Touch up any final imperfections after coats are dry
• Remove all sheeting and tidy the working area
• Optional sealing of paths and windows from any over-spray

Masonry Creme for Brick Properties

Masonry creme is a different product from masonry paint and serves a different purpose. It is a clear, breathable, water-repellent treatment applied to bare brickwork to keep driving rain from soaking into the wall. Unlike older silicone water-repellents, modern masonry cremes do not seal the wall — they let moisture out from the inside but stop liquid water entering from the outside. The brickwork still looks like brick when the creme is dry; you cannot tell it has been treated. We apply masonry creme to whole houses or to specific gables that face the prevailing weather, and it can dramatically reduce damp problems on properties suffering from rain penetration through the brickwork. We use Stormdry and similar quality products that come with manufacturer warranties of 25 years or more.

Pebbledash and Spar-dash Refresh

Pebbledash has a divided reputation in Middlesbrough. Some homeowners love it for its low maintenance, while others find it dated and want to lose it. We can help with both. For homeowners who like the texture, we apply masonry paint over pebbledash using thicker-build paints that key into the texture and refresh the colour. For homeowners who want to lose the dash entirely, we can render over the existing dash with a thin scratch coat and a smooth finish coat — though this is best treated as a full render job rather than a paint job, and we will quote accordingly.

Quotes and Coverage

Masonry painting is quoted on a site visit because the condition of the existing surface matters so much. We give a fixed-price written quote that includes preparation, materials, two full top coats and waste removal. There are no extras unless variations are requested. Get in touch via the contact form or by email for non-urgent enquiries.

Frequently Asked Questions