This week it's painting....

Last week’s attempts at becoming a plasterer ended up with me covered in the stuff and the remainder sliding down the walls. I’ll leave it to the professionals next time. This week I have decided that I am a painter and thought it would be a good idea to brighten up and protect a few outside fence panels.

I don’t usually paint anything out of doors, especially fences. Once you start you need to keep it up every year. I think that the pressure treated wood used for fencing can’t be improved upon with anything painted on it so another layer of varnish, stain or paint is purely for aesthetic purposes. I think it’s the same for external walls of houses, as long as they are treated for algae. On saying that, I will no doubt be corrected by builders telling me that external paint protects the render from frost. I’m willing to take the risk if it means not having to climb up a ladder every year and refresh the paintwork. There’s nothing wrong with grey, it blends perfectly with the weather and makes the houses invisible.

As there are only a few planks I thought I would give them a few coats of the water based gloss that’s on the market. I have put on four coats and although it’s very pleasant to work with, it still looks like eggshell. I had a real job on finding a suitable covering for the bit of fencing. Down at the local diy shop I glazed over at not only the types of products available to brighten up the garden, but also at the ways at which they can be applied. If you are revamping the fence and can’t be bothered getting the brushes out then there’s a spray gun you could use. Great fun, especially as the spray still works as you go over the gaps in the planks. Hopefully your neighbour won’t be out sunbathing. Not much chance with our weather this autumn.

Painting in the garden

Let’s have a look at what you can paint in the garden should the urge take you.
Plant pots. A simple thing you could do with the children (not using them to paint with silly). Have fun with water based paints then varnish them to make them weather proof. They could brighten up the patio until the sharp frost cracks them in winter (or you could put them in the shed for protection).

Fences. Try going for bold colours to accentuate lighter coloured plants. A deep red background sounds a bit garish but variegated foliage really stands out against it. This type of fence would be ideal for a smaller garden, though it might be a bit over the top on an acre boundary.

Patios. Like fences you don’t have to stick with the standard teak or oak colours, try painting the banisters or railings different colours like you see in children’s playhouses.

Paving slabs and tiles. I spotted paint you could use for both of these surfaces. Check for longevity though, our garage was painted with the red floor paint last year and most of it trailed into the house when the garage floor got wet. It was a real mess. Make sure you pick something that’s going to be really hard wearing and weatherproof.

Ornaments. Brighten up an old pair of wellies or give the garden gnomes a few licks of gloss to brighten them up

Sheds. If you don’t fancy turning the shed into a Wendy house then paint some trellis to go onto one side. Even in the depths of winter they will still give you a bit of colour when you look out of the kitchen window.
Sinks and troughs. If the idea of painting (and the need to re-paint) worries you as it does me then try painting with a different concoction. If you have anything with cement in it such as an old sink or even cement blocks then paint them with yogurt or buttermilk mixed in with a bit of moss. The acidic environment is ideal for the spores to multiply making even new terracotta pots look old in no time. Whether it’s faster than leaving the pots outside for one year in Ireland’s damp climate is debatable. Maybe it would make an interesting school project for someone.