COLOUR EDITION EXTERIOR DECOR
Adding bright and bold colour to your garden will enhance its structural features and create a beautiful backdrop for your plants
FEATURE LISA FAZZANI
We think of adding colour to the garden through our choice of plants, carefully picking apalette of complementary blooms and striking foliage. Walls and structures such as sheds take aback seat; we hope to camouflage them, rather than making them stand out.
You may not want to paint over acrafted flint or aged stone wall, where the tints and patina of the natural material bring their subtle rainbow to the garden. But aplain render or modern brick wall can be hugely enhanced by acoat of colour, creating abackground for flowers to sing out from, and appearing to bring your plot’s borders closer to the house or further away, depending on the shade you select. If painting agarden wall is your next weekend project, this is how to get the best finish.
PICK THE CORRECT PAINT
Whether render or brickwork, using aspecialist masonry paint is amust to ensure aprotective and long-lasting finish. Quality masonry paints are designed to last for up to 15 years, so it’s well worth spending alittle extra.
Masonry paint is available in either asmooth or textured finish. Smooth is easier to apply and will provide asleeker finish, much like an indoor emulsion. Textured masonry paint gives amore tactile finish that is good for covering fine cracks and provides better protection.
Arough surface on the wall you are covering can double the amount of paint you need. Using atextured masonry paint tailored to your surface will reduce the number of coats you have to use and provides amore even finish.
WAIT FOR THE BEST WEATHER
Dry spring and summer days are ideal for any exterior painting projects. Very sunny days are best avoided, as extreme heat can cause paint to dry too quickly and give aclumpy finish. Aim for aday that’s not overly humid either, as this can prevent paint drying.
‘The ambient temperature should be above 5C with no risk of rain during application or drying,’ says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene. ‘Try to avoid painting in full sun or on surfaces that are already warm as this will affect the way the paint dries.’
WASH THE WALL
‘Cleaning your walls is an all-important first step,’ say the experts at Dulux. ‘Make sure they are free of any dirt, debris or stains. We’d also recommend
