Ideas for Maintenance and Decorating

October 2020. When we first published this article 5 or 6 months ago, we didn’t dream that Covid-19 would still be affecting the nation in the way it is. We are still manufacturing and managing to maintain our social distancing policy effectively here at Palatine Paints. We do know however, that some business premises remain closed and that many people are having to stay within the confines of their own homes much more than they’d like.We thought we’d offer some ideas of maintenance tasks that could be done to make use of time while customers are absent, to utilise retained staff effectively, or even some DIY jobs to do if you’re stuck at home. Order easily online and we’ll deliver to straight your door.Note we have introduced a range of protective sanitisers and easily installed screens to help businesses keep staff and customers safe. Please contact us for more details.We are following government guidance on social distancing, cleaning and hygiene which includes the way we package our products for delivery.

Ideas for outside maintenance tasks

Paint Masonry and Re-Paint Lines

Freshen up walls of shop fronts, houses, garages, outbuildings. Re-paint exterior masonry, cement, render, pebble dash, rough cast, brick and concrete. Before painting, scrape away any loose paint and fill any holes, sand if needed. Apply with a masonry roller or masonry block brush. We suggest:

1. Trutex Masonry Paint – Water Based. Extra durable high opacity, smooth masonry paint
2. Pliocem Masonry Paint – Solvent Based. High performance resin based masonry paint with mould resistant properties
3. Twin Head Masonry Roller Kit and Pole – Heavy Duty masonry roller, frame, pole and 4″ masonry brush

Mark out or re-paint parking spaces, disabled spaces, no entry signs, tennis courts, basketball pitches etc.

1. Carboline Road Marking Paint – Fast drying and durable line marking paint easy to use by brush or roller
2. Line Marking Spray – high quality fast drying and hard wearing acrylic line marking paint
3. Guide to line marking – Read our blog on HSE guidelines and planning out a line marking project

Paint Wood and Metal

Check wooden window frames and doors. What condition are they in? Read our blog and Caring for Exterior Wood Windows and Doors.Examine metal gates, railings, walkways, garage doors and outdoor furniture. Check for rust – there are some fabulous treatments available now which allow you to tackle rust quickly and with minimum effort. This means you can get rid of rust and apply a decent anti corrosive coating in no time at all. If rust is not a problem, simply apply a good protective coating. We suggest:

1. Two Hour Gloss – Very high gloss, fast drying, protective top coat for brush or roller application
2. Fast Dry Gloss/Semi Gloss – High performance, direct to metal coating ideal for spraying
3. Carboxide Metal Primer – Anti-corrosive primer containing zinc phosphate
4. Red Oxide Primer – Multi purpose, high build, rust inhibiting primer
5. Zinc Rich Primer – High zinc content cold galvanising paint can be used as a self finish coat or durable primer
6. Rust Converters and Removers – a range from Jenolite renowned manufacture of rust removal treatments
7. Palatine Professional Satin and Matt – Decorative and protective top coat for interior and exterior use

Treat Decking, Sheds and Garden Furniture 

Now is a great time to re-apply preservative and protective treatments to outdoor wood. Prepare and treat wooden garden furniture, sheds, summer houses, fences and decking to protect from the damaging effects of rain and UV rays. This will keep wood looking great by preventing flaking, splitting, staining and cracking.  We stock a range of wood treatment products, many of which are now available in fabulous shades, especially popular is the All in One Decking Treatment which is also great for summerhouses, sheds and fences.Repair and paint roofing on sheds, summer houses, flat roof extensions, caravans (if you’re lucky enough to have yours stored on your property). Our range of bitumen based paints and roofing repair products are ideal for weatherproofing. Now is also the perfect time to apply a solar reflective coating to shed roofs, flat roof extensions and even caravan roofs.We suggest:

1. CarboBlack – Black bitumen paint which dries to form a weatherproof film for protection against the elements
2. Carboxide Green Bitumen – blend of modified bitumen, alkyd resin and additives gives excellent flexible weatherproofing
3. Carbosil Solar Reflective – For overcoating bitumen based surfaces to protect from heat and UV light damage
4. Carbosealit – For waterproofing and repairing structural cracks and holes, flashing and guttering

Ideas for inside maintenance tasks

Concrete Floors

A temporary close down is never a great time. One positive action would be to take advantage of quiet times and utilise any retained staff to re-coat floors. We make a range of different coatings for concrete floors; which one you choose will depend on the amount of traffic and the levels of any harsh chemicals which it might come into contact with. Two pack epoxy paints for example, have great resistance to chemicals and heavy traffic, while a single pack polyurethane is easy to apply and ideal for a workshop type setting. Chlorinated rubber paint is a great option where hygiene is essential, with resistance to oils, water and a wide range of chemicals it is low maintenance and easy to hose or jet wash.See our blog on painting floors for more details about all these floor coatings. Concrete floors can also be sealed and dust-proofed with our Pliocem Clear Concrete Sealer.

Wooden Floors

Re-apply varnish to wooden floors. If the floor is very worn, sand back completely to bare wood and apply a good quality floor varnish according to the instructions. For varnished floors that are showing signs of mild wear in patches, it’s sometimes possible to touch up by sanding lightly and applying a several thin coats of varnish to the worn area (be sure it’s compatible with the varnish that’s already there). Have a look at a couple of our business customers’ floor varnish projects here. Wooden floors can of course be painted, for an alternative look. We suggest:

1. Carbotread Polyurethane Floor Varnish
2. Carbotread Polyurethane Floor Paint
3. Solvent Resistant Rollers/Refills

Walls and Woodwork

We stock a full range of decorative paints and accessories to help with interior projects. Truglos and Palatine Professional Satin or Matt are ideal for skirting boards, architraves, door frames and bannisters. Our Trucryl primer is a fast drying water-borne coating performing the dual role of both primer and undercoat. Walls can be emulsioned in superfast time with our Supercote single coat emulsion and we supply the full range of rollers and brushes to help.For interior metal work in warehouse settings etc our range of primers and topcoats can be found in the industrial section on our website. Now might be the time to review fire protection measures, speak to your local building control department for details of measures that might be required. We stock a full range of intumescent and smoke/flame retardant coatings and we are certified suppliers for both Nullifire and Thermoguard products.