Hi all! I'm looking for some advice on how to prepare my 1970's concrete balusters for painting.I'm looking to paint them monument grey which I know will hide a lot of the imperfections, most of them are in great condition but a handful need some patch repairs and the previous paint removed off the top railings.Should I use paint stripper on the top or just grind it off; should I use a simple cement mix to patch up the holes?We have about 80 to paint so I want to get it right the first time - thank you!
top railingsbasetop railingfront
Sorry for the slow reply @MsChezzyG.
I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist as soon as possible.
Jason
Hello @MsChezzyG
My apologies for the late reply. In order to prepare your balusters for painting, I suggest sanding down the surface of each baluster with a Flexovit 115mm x 1m 180 Grit Painted Surface Sandpaper Roll. There's no need to remove the paint entirely; the goal is to texture the surface for better paint adhesion.
Once you've finished sanding the surface, I recommend using a pressure washer to clean the balusters. To patch and fix the damages, I suggest using Parfix 500g Ready To Use Multipurpose Filler. It can be sanded, painted and be used for exterior repairs.
I suggest looking at either the Dulux Weathersheild or Taubmans Sunproof exterior paint. Both these paint systems are self-priming and are rated for outside use.
Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to paint like a professional.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @EricL ,
Thankyou for the thorough advice on this project, I’m looking forward to getting these done.
Happy Easter!
Hi @MsChezzyG
Happy Easter and enjoy the long weekend!
Hello, how did this turn out for you? As I am about to embark on the same project. Funnily enough the looks just about identical same type of bricks same type of
Hello @Cassiepom
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us.
Let me tag @MsChezzyG to make them aware of your question.
If you have a similar setup in your home, I suggest doing the same thing to prepare the surface for painting and that is to sand it down. I would add two extra steps to my suggestion and that is to wash the surface very well to get rid of the sanding dust on the surface. Cover the floor area with painters drop sheets to prevent paint splatter from going onto the floor. Make sure that the balusters are totally dry before you start painting.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Thanks for tagging me Eric, Cassiepom our project went very well. We tried a few different methods to prep our balusters and found the following worked best: Selleys Spakfilla where needed, Palm sand the rough balusters, paint stripper for the hand rails, Taubmans low sheen paint x 2 coats.
It took us a few weekends and has held up great!
Hi @MsChezzyG,
Thank you for getting back to us so quickly. It's fantastic to see that your project has stood up so well to the tests of time. It still looks fantastic.
Allow me to tag @Cassiepom so they are notified of your comment.
Jacob
