PAINT LIKE A PRO: How to Paint a Wooden Shed

| By Tony Griffin Manager, Pat McDonnell

Looking for a weekend DIY project? Painting your shed is a great way to add colour to your garden while also ensuring long-term protection against the elements.

• BEFORE YOU START

As a rule, wood needs to be completely dry before painting so time your project for a dry stretch.

Step 1: Weather (New Sheds Only)

If your shed is new, allow several months before painting for the shed to weather. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to find out how much time is needed.

Step 2: Prep

Take measures to protect surfaces you don’t want to paint. Cover nearby surfaces and plants with dust sheets. Trim back unwanted foliage or tie back plants. Mask off handles and fittings with Deltec Purple Masking Tape.

Step 3: Clean

If you are repainting an existing shed, make sure that it is as clean as possible before painting. Start by washing it down with Fluxaf Pro-Clean. Note - this is a concentrated formula so read the instructions to find out how much dilution is needed before use. Then, scrub vigorously with a stiff brush and rinse. Tackle remaining mould, moss or dirt with Farbex Exterior Fungicidal Wash (again making sure to dilute by the amount specified in the instructions). Always leave sufficient drying time between each step.

Step 4: Sand

Use a sanding block or pad to remove old, flaky paint. Sand in the direction of the woodgrain so that you don’t miss

TOOLS FOR THE JOB

• Protect: Deltec Purple Masking

Tape, Dust sheets

• Clean: Fluxaf Pro-Clean, Hardbristled brush, Farbex Exterior

Fungicidal Wash

• Sand: 120-grit sandpaper block or pad any spots. Wipe down the shed afterwards to remove any remaining sanding dust.

Step 4: Spot-Prime (New Sheds Only) To prevent knots from bleeding-through your paintwork, spot-prime them with an appropriate shellac-based primer such as Ray’s Primer.

Step 5: Choose Your Paint (Topcoat) For a quality paint that can be used as both primer and a topcoat, we recommend Ralston 3-in-1 Aqua Satin. Ideal for both painted and unpainted sheds, this product can be tinted to any colour of your choosing.

Cuprinol 5-Year Ducksback offers a wide range of attractive ready-made colours suitable for use on sheds. This product colours and weatherproofs sheds for up to five years.

Step 6: Paint!

Stir the paint well before use. Start by using an angled 2” brush to cut-in around any fittings, windows, doors, and edges. Then, use a 4” masonry brush or a long-nap roller to paint the remaining area – making sure to paint in the same direction as the grain. Once the first coat is dry, paint a second coat. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for information on drying times.

• Spot-Prime: Ray’s Primer

• Topcoat: Ralston 3-in-1 Aqua Satin or Cuprinol 5-Year Ducksback

• Tools: Wooster Silver Tip 2” Angle

Sash Paint Brush, Harper & Green 4”

Masonry Brush, Corona Tuff Pro ¾"

Rough Pile Roller

Kerry Airport is preparing to offer a customary ‘céad míle fáilte’ to the passengers arriving to the county on board the inaugural Chalair flight from Brittany, France on Saturday.

The aircraft will touch down at 9.20am with visitors from Quimper and Brest while the first outbound passengers will depart from Kerry just before 10am on the same day.

The seasonal summer service will operate every Saturday with a flight time of less than 1 hour 40 minutes from Kerry to France on board a 70-seat ATR 72 aircraft.

The CEO of Kerry Airport, John Mulhern, said: “Our summer schedule has been very successful so far and the introduction of this new seasonal service to France is a welcome addition to our choice of destinations from Kerry. We are looking forward to welcoming the first French passengers to Kerry on Saturday morning. Ultimately, their arrival and those who will follow over the coming weeks, will boost the local economy during the peak tourism season.”

Chalair is an independent airline that has been operating scheduled flights in France since 1986.

Its fleet of aircraft ranges from 19 to 70 seats and is currently the reference airline for such aircraft on the French market. These new destinations from Kerry to Quimper and Brest in Brittany will bring to nine the number of routes that will be available to passengers for the summer months.

Kerry Airport already serves Alicante, Faro, Dublin, London (Luton and Stansted), Manchester and Frankfurt Hahn with Ryanair.