Allotments 4 All

We were allowed to keep our fence by the planning dept on condition we paint it dark green, in and out..
in parts, it's 7'4", does anyone on here know what sort of flippin' paint we need, it's galvanised pallisade fencing..also, can it be sprayed, we've been told it will need 'tee washing' before it can be painted, can we spray this, will it kill off plants, will it damage the soil, so many problems, we know nothing about this sort of thing, need some help, guys  :-\

You can buy paint specifically for painting wood or metal from most DIY shops such as B&Q or Focus.  You will also need to buy a brush specifically designed for painting whichever surface you are to paint.  Some outdoor paint instructions reccommend not to apply it in temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius.  No need to buy the most expensive neither. 

I'm talking about approx 600' long inside and out,7' tall in some parts.. doubt if, even between us all, we could paint it all .

Quote from: manicscousers on January 12, 2009, 20:22:17
I'm talking about approx 600' long inside and out,7' tall in some parts.. doubt if, even between us all, we could paint it all .

What about using an extendable roller to reach the top ???

Places like HSS hire out spray machines of varying sizes depending on what kind of coating you're spraying and how big a machine you need.  If you went into your local branch or equivalent I'm sure they'd advise.

http://www.hss.com/index.php?s=paint+spray

thanks, ceres,
just been in touch, after lots of phone calls to find his number, with the guy who put the fence up for us, he's going to ask the boss tomorrow what we should use and see if he knows someone who will do it for us, we have access to a small grant to pay for it, just arranged it so that'll help if we can sort out about the ground etc , don't want to poison anyone's fruit trees and things  :)

galvo needs a coat of 'mordant solution' before painting, and yer best bet will be with a brush! spraying the type of fence you describe might be o.k. in a workshop/spraybooth, but not outdoors!( have worked on painting a few motorway bridges/ handrails, oilrigs, etc) ;)

thank you, tonybloke..what sort of paint would you recccommend for top coat, I've found a hammerite type one, 5 ltr for 39.91 +vat, covers 10metres squared, still don't know how much we need but will talk to the fellers at the plot, don't suppose you fancy painting this lot for us, do ya ?  ;D
we've been told the probationers could do it, just the outside, mind, plotholders won't have them in the allotments, too much temptation

Quote from: manicscousers on January 13, 2009, 09:39:29
thank you, tonybloke..what sort of paint would you recccommend for top coat, I've found a hammerite type one, 5 ltr for 39.91 +vat, covers 10metres squared, still don't know how much we need but will talk to the fellers at the plot, don't suppose you fancy painting this lot for us, do ya ?  ;D
we've been told the probationers could do it, just the outside, mind, plotholders won't have them in the allotments, too much temptation

Check that again, I've never seen a paint that covers 10metres/squared (10x10metres = 100 square metres) per litre, I think you will find it's 10 square metres per litre. If you are spraying it will take double that, so will cover 5 square metres per coat. Preparation for spraying has to be much more thorough than for brushing. You have to realise that spray or roller just lays the paint on the surface, whereas brushing scrubs the paint into the surface (gets better contact). Surface preparation is very necessary to get rid of atmospheric contamination, that means a lot of rubbing down with abrasive paper to "key" the paint to the old surface. A quick job will maybe last two to three years, A proper job will last seven years.

By the way, I spent 26years in the trade, including 4 years apprenticeship and 14 of them with my own business.

Paint coverage: http://www.hmgpaint.com/knowledge-base/theoretical-coverage-chart/

thanks, larkshall..I'll have another look although it was 5 litres to 10 metres squared..wish I'd been better at maths in school  :-\

Quote from: manicscousers on January 13, 2009, 10:12:41
thanks, larkshall..I'll have another look although it was 5 litres to 10 metres squared..wish I'd been better at maths in school  :-\

Hi Manic

Many people (not in the trade) mistake M² for Metres squared, it's unfortunate that it's the correct way of putting it, it would be more sense if it was ²M.

Hi Manic,
The key here I think is that you said the fence was 'galvanised pallisade'.
If the galvanising is weathered, you will need to pretreat it with 'plumbate' or the top coat won't take. At 600' by 7', I don't envy you - it's gonna be a long job!
Good luck.

I know what you mean, telboy..I've found a firm that does everything we need, apart from paintbrushes and labour  ;D
NWE paints does t treatment, primer and topcoat, we'll measure the fence properly tomorrow and e mail for a quote  ;D
longer job than you think, telboy, we have 15 members, 5 are very elderly, 6 are disabled, all the others work all week, and we have to have the weather, too  ::)
still, pretty sure I can get the funding, got an e mail from the councillor today, promised some money