Spruce up for spring

Metal furniture

Clean metal furniture with a wire brush to remove all rust and then spot prime with a metal prime, we used Resene Galvo One. We top-coated with Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Espirit.

Brick paths

Give brick paths a thorough makeover by treating with a moss and mould killer and then washing them well with clean water. Very stubborn marks can be removed with a stiff brush - or if paths are exceptionally dirty, clean with a water blaster on as gentle setting as will do the job, taking care not to damage mortar or any soft bricks.

Clean concrete surfaces as you do bricks (above). Then, if you wish, use paving paint to revamp old concrete paths that are partly porous and grow mould and algae. We have used Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path Paint which is easy to apply with a roller. It provides a textured, non-skid surface.

Furniture

Nothing says 'summer' more than the classic cape cod chair. Painting one with a bright exterior house paint turns it into a hot focal point, we used Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Chaos.

Corrugated iron fencing

A lick of paint can turn an unappealing corrugated iron fence into a sleek background for garden plants. Preparation is most important - we washed our fence first with Resene Roof Wash and Metal Cleaner and rinsed thoroughly with clean water. When the fence is dry, prime it with a metal primer, we used Resene Galvo One and finish off with two coats of a roof or other paint suitable for metal surfaces. We used Resene Lumbersider in Resene Go Ben.

Decking and wooden garden panels

Give decking and wooden garden panels a makeover. First prepare the surface with a moss and mould killer. We used Resene Moss & Mould Killer and left it for 48 hours before washing it off with clean water. When the deck and fence were dry, we then used two coats of Resene Furniture and Decking Oil on the deck and two coats of Resene Woodsman Penetrating Oil Stain in Resene Jacaranda on the fence.