Painting the outer part of your home is a big job, but rewarding in the end. It will increase your home’s value at the same time extend its life. If you’re a handyman, you can do it yourself and save a huge amount of money. But, if you want to obtain the best result, then you should hire a professional to do the job for you.
Doing a painting job requires a substantial amount of time from the preparation of the actual painting of your home, not to mention the materials and tools needed for the job.
Exterior painting is an important home maintenance project. It should be done as early as you notice peel, blister, and crack. Otherwise, if you’ll ignore these issues it will lead to more expensive and extensive jobs. To avoid this, you should know some exterior painting tips for your home.
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Paint options
The first thing to consider in doing a painting job is choosing the right paint for the outer part of your home. You can choose either the oil-based alkyd or the water-based latex. The alky paint is difficult to clean up and requires using paint thinner. On the contrary, latex paint is easy to remove by just using water and soap. The odor isn’t strong and it dries up quickly. You should not compromise the quality of the paint over its price. Most likely, expensive paints last longer and provide more protective coating.
Prepare the surface
It’s important to remove the old paint and clean the surface before repainting the house’s exterior. This can be done by using a stiff-bristle brush or by a power sprayer. If there are holes in the surface, you should fill it with exterior-grade putty. However, if the old paint is still in good condition, then you can apply directly the paint to the surface. If the old paint is flaked off or blistered, it should be scrape and sand first as well as apply a primer before painting it.
Never paint the rotten siding
If you notice that the wood is rotten, don’t apply the paint on it because it won’t stick. The paint can’t prevent further deterioration of the wood. Make sure you replace it with a new one first.
Use Primer
As a rule of thumb, whether you’re painting the exterior or interior of your home, it is required to apply primer first before applying the color coats. However, you can also find paint with primer that reduces the number of coats that you need to apply. This kind of paint can be expensive but is comparable with the cost of buying the paint and primer separately.
Use roller and brush
To obtain even the application of exterior paint, you should use both a roller and paintbrush. Use the roller in painting long and large surfaces and utilize the paintbrush in painting smaller areas, narrow edges, and surfaces.
Begin in the shade
If the exterior part of your home is exposed to direct sunlight, you should expect that the paint will dry quickly. This means that the paint won’t absorb well and may result in flake and blister. For this reason, you should begin painting on the part that is shaded to ensure that the paint will dry naturally with the air.
Start from the top
When doing painting jobs, you should start from the top going down. This will prevent streaks and lap marks. It is difficult to avoid drips, but starting from top to bottom will feather out mishaps.
Check the weather
It’s important to consider the weather condition if you’re planning to paint the outer part of your home. Painting during windy days should be avoided as dirt can be blown onto the wet paint. Don’t apply latex paint during cold weather unless it’s formulated for colder temperatures. If there’s a possibility of raining, don’t start the job.
The exterior painting job is extended up to the finishing touches. But, to obtain the best results, doing the finishing touches requires quality time and effort. As long as the painting job is done properly, it’s expected that it will last for years. On the other hand, if you’re doing it yourself, make sure that you know some techniques on how to apply the paint correctly.
This would save wasting your time and money. Hiring a professional is worth investing in as it guarantees the best possible results. It won’t only make your home pleasant to the eyes, but also increase its resale value.
