Painting a waterside home in Friesland

The difference lies not in the brush but in the load. On open water there is nothing to brake the wind, and it pushes rain and spray against the facade, into seams that stay dry elsewhere. After a wet spell, wood by the waterfront also dries more slowly.

That means the guide of 6 to 8 years for opaque exterior paintwork tends to come out on the short side here, certainly on the south-west. A simple yearly check helps you see that in good time.

On the Frisian lakes and the IJsselmeer the water is fresh, so the salt problem you have on the coast plays much less of a role here. What does play a part: green algae on the north side, wood that stays damp for a long time and a surface that needs time to dry before paint can go on.

Applying paint to wood that is still wet is asking for trouble. That is why we look at the humidity, which has to stay below 85 percent, and at the wood itself. Sometimes that means waiting a day, even if it looks dry outside. On painting weather in Friesland you can see what is feasible per month.

• Sills and the bottom of patio doors close to a deck
• Barge boards and fascia boards on the corner facing the water
• Open joints in frames on the south-west
• Timber facade cladding that runs down to the ground
• Decks, steps and canopies that are fixed to the facade

Those are exactly the places where preventing wood rot pays off most. A sealant that comes away or a joint that pulls open you repair in an afternoon, and that saves you a complete new frame later.

Putting up scaffolding on a narrow quay or against a sheet-pile wall needs more consultation than on a driveway. Sometimes a cherry picker from the land side is better, sometimes another solution is needed. We always look at that at the site visit. One thing is fixed for us: on a quay where it cannot be done safely, we take no risks.

The environment counts too. Sanding dust, stripping residue and paint waste do not belong in the water, so we cover up and catch it. At the harbour crane in Stavoren we worked with a cherry picker in a place where water and harbour lie right next to it.

High gloss is a closed, smooth layer that lets water run off easily and is easy to keep clean. The layer does show imperfections sooner than satin, so the preparation has to be in order. On high gloss or satin you can read which choice fits where.

With dark colours the wood heats up more in the sun, and that is something to take into account in your colour choice on the south. We work with Sikkens, Sigma and Wijzonol, among others, and at the site visit we discuss which system we use on your surface. A blue facade in high gloss or a classic white one can both be fine, as long as the surface is right.

• Photos from the water and from the land side, if possible
• How the facade on the waterside can be reached: quay, deck or garden
• Whether a jetty or boat is in the way
• The year of construction and the last paint job
• Any rules of a harbour, park or association

That information decides how we set up the work. If, for example, there is a boat in the berth in front of your facade, it may have to move for a while. Better that we know that beforehand than on the first working day.

The price per m2 does not necessarily differ, but access and the condition of the wood do. As a national market guide, exterior painting starts from €35 per m2, an exterior window frame from €50 each and replacing fascia boards from €55 per running metre. Those are not MJA prices: with us you get a fixed price after the site visit.

Elsewhere, hired scaffolding or a lift quickly costs at least €50 per day. With us our own scaffolding is in the quote at a fixed price, and that helps when the job has to wait for dry weather. We only bring a cherry picker if it is really needed.

We are in Gaasterland, between the IJsselmeer and the lakes. Stavoren, Lemmer and the villages around the Slotermeer and the Fluessen fall in our daily area. In those places we know what south-west wind does to a facade, because we see it on the facades we work on.

Mohamed is your point of contact, and on Google we are rated 4.8 from 25 reviews. This is familiar ground for businesses too: the harbour crane in Stavoren is an example. If you want to see what we did before, look at our work.

The best time to have your facade by the water looked at is before the wet season, because then you can still close open seams. But any other moment is fine too: we plan the site visit, put down what has to happen and then look at when the weather allows it.

Request your quote or send photos by WhatsApp to 06 3006 0558. If the wood is in good shape, we will say so too.