Flowton Barn Painting

Project overview

A working farm in Flowton, Suffolk required a full repaint of its barn cladding, covering both established black-painted timber and newly installed boarding. The elevations were treated as a single scheme so the finished buildings read consistently across the yard, with the programme run over May and June to make use of settled weather and dry substrates.

The challenge

The site combined two very different substrates. The existing black cladding had weathered and needed thorough preparation before any new coating would hold, while the new timber was bare and absorbent, requiring an additional coat to build an even, fully sealed finish. Work also had to progress around a live farm, at height, and across long uninterrupted elevations where any variation in finish would be obvious.

Site constraints

• Live working farm with ongoing daily access and vehicle movements
• Mixed substrates: weathered painted timber alongside new bare boarding
• Working at height on long elevations and gable ends
• Weather-dependent coating windows through late spring

Our approach

Access was provided by step ladders for the lower cladding and a MEWP for the higher runs and gables, allowing operatives to work at a comfortable height and keep a consistent wet edge along each board. Elevations were completed one at a time so the farm retained access throughout, and finished areas were inspected as the work moved around the site.

Preparation and delivery

All elevations were cleaned down and prepared to remove dirt, loose material and failed coating, with timber checked over and made ready to receive the new system. Surrounding surfaces, fixings and openings were protected before coating began, and each elevation was signed off as prepared before application started.

System

The existing black barns received two coats over the prepared surface. The new timber cladding was given three coats to allow for absorption into bare boarding and achieve the same depth of colour and opacity as the established elevations, so old and new cladding matched on completion.

Before and after

Project gallery

Result

All barns were completed to a high standard within the May to June programme, with new and existing cladding finished to a consistent, uniform appearance and the timber protected against the weather. The farm remained fully operational throughout, and the site was left clean on handover.

Related services

• Industrial Coatings
• Building Maintenance