Why Exterior Paint Fails Early in Ireland (and How to Stop It)
Cracked render, blistered woodwork, peeling fascias — most exterior paint problems aren't bad paint, they're rushed prep. Here's what we do differently.
Irish weather is brutal on paintwork. Wind-driven rain, freeze-thaw cycles, salt air on the coast, and sun that suddenly appears for a fortnight in July and bleaches anything south-facing. A repaint done properly should last 8–10 years; done quickly it can start to fail in 18 months.
1. Wash, don't just sand
Render and masonry hold years of atmospheric dirt, algae and chalking paint. Going straight in with a brush over the top traps all of that under the new system. We pressure-wash and apply a biocidal wash, then let everything dry properly — usually 48 hours of dry weather.
2. Fix the moisture path first
Most blistered woodwork is moisture working its way out from behind the paint film. Cracked render, failed sealant around windows, blocked gutters — these have to be addressed before any paint goes near them. Otherwise the new paint just lasts as long as the old paint did, and you blame the painter.
3. Use the right system, not just the right brand
Sandtex, Dulux Weathershield and Zinsser all do excellent exterior products — but they're systems. A masonry stabiliser, then a primer, then two top coats. Skipping the stabiliser on chalky old render is the single most common reason a re-paint peels off in a winter.
For woodwork we use a flexible water-based exterior system. It expands and contracts with the wood through Irish seasons instead of cracking like the old oil paints did.
4. Don't paint in the wrong window
Manufacturer minimums for exterior painting are typically 8°C and surfaces dry. In practice that means April to September is your reliable window, with September often the best month (dry surfaces from a warm summer, mild evenings). Painting render in November because the price was good is a false economy.
