Today, we will show you how to paint the facade of a barn.
The facade is the outer part of a structure. Constant exposure to weather cause the paint to wear over time.
In this post, we want to show you how to renew the front of your barn step-by-step.
WE RECOMMEND USING THE FOLLOWING
- Paint sprayer.
- Boom lift.
- Paper or plastic to cover.
- Painter´s tape.
- Face mask.
We strongly recommend using a paint sprayer rather than a brush or roller for this particular job.
Why? Here are the advantages of using a paint sprayer:
- Better finish with less paint.
- More surface in less time.
- The best choice for beginners.
- For painting surfaces with cracks or indentations.
If you can’t use a boom lift, you have the option of a ladder. Be sure to find one tall enough to reach the top of the facade.
DO THE FOLLOWING
STEP 1: HAVE THE BOOM LIFT ON SITE
This step doesn´t necessarily have to be the first, but it would be convenient considering that:
- Painting with a paint sprayer is quite fast.
- If you have a small barn, or several people painting simultaneously, you don’t want to leave the job halfway through.
- If, for some reason, you will only paint the top of the barn.
STEP 2: COVER THE WINDOWS
Since our Jack replaced the window frames, he just covered the glass with paper and tape.
As you can see at 0:05 in our video
STEP 3: PREPARE THE COMPRESSOR
Place the compressor as close as possible to the area where you will be painting and remove any objects that may get in the way when moving the compressed air hose.
Our Jack put the compressor inside the barn.
STEP 4: PAINT THE LOWER PART OF THE FACADE
For this job, our Jack used a paint sprayer (Wagner Flexio 2000).
As you can see in our video, the barn’s facade has two different sections, one with concrete blocks and the other with metal cladding. They are different surfaces, both in texture and shape.
The paint sprayer is ideal for this job because it efficiently covers the indentations in the metal cladding and the cracks in the block wall.
Paint sideways for the first coat. Then, paint from top to bottom to apply the second coat.
When using a paint sprayer, paint at a distance of 8″ (20 cm).
Paint sprayers have excellent coverage performance. The Wagner Flexio 2000 paints a 10′ x 12′ area with a full cup.
When you notice that the sprayer doesn´t paint, fill the cup again and continue painting.
As you can see at 0:21 in our video
STEP 5: PAINT THE UPPER PART OF THE BARN
Our Jack’s reach goes up to a certain height. To paint the top of the barn, he´ll use a boom lift (2013 E400AJPN Electric Boom Lift – JLG).
The boom lift is a piece of equipment without a cab, whose controls are on the same platform where the operator is.
Move the platform until you reach the area you want to paint, keeping an 8” distance.
Paint as far as you can reach and move again. Keep going until you have covered the entire facade of the barn.
We recommend using a tool tether for fall protection when working at heights.
When the cup runs out of paint, there is no choice but to get off the platform and refill it.
Get back on the platform and move it closer until you are at a suitable distance to paint.
The platform can rotate. Thus, you can reach certain places without operating the boom to move the platform or reposition the entire equipment.
As you can see at 1:00 in our video
STEP 6: REMOVE THE PAPER AND TAPE
When done painting, simply remove the paper covering the windows.
Make sure to use painter’s tape, not regular tape.
Painter’s tape comes off easily, while masking tape tends to leave a residue.
As you can see at 1:27 in our video
LASTLY
Here’s how you can paint the front of your barn.
It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie. You’ll do a good job with this guide. A paint sprayer will surely speed up the job.
If you like paint jobs, look at our article “Heavy Equipment Boom Paint Restoration (with power sanding).”
By the way, we told you that we changed the window frames. Here are some before and after photos.