If you are thinking about ways to make your home, more inviting in the neighborhood an exterior painting project could be the answer. This is a very simple way to express your style and give your home a unique look with your own personal paint scheme. In order to get perfect results it is important that you remember to do proper prep before you begin.
The first exterior painting prep technique you should employ is cleaning. Over time, dirt and grime will build up on the exterior and if you leave it, the paint will not stick well. Before you know it, your paint will be peeling.
Begin by spraying it off with a pressure washing unit that has a minimum of 2500 PSI this allows enough power to get off the tougher grime and dirt that a hose can't remove alone. During this time, you should go over the exterior with a bleach solution that will help kill mold and mildew that might be forming. These thrive best in dark places, and by adding a coat of paint to them it increases their chance to thrive and destroy your home.
After washing, you will want to inspect the exterior, especially under the eaves for wasp nests. You are going to be working on a ladder to complete your exterior painting and these buggers can cause a potential hazard. The can sting quite viciously and for some people this can be a life threatening event.
It is now time to work on scraping loose or peeling paint for your exterior house-painting project. Wherever you find bubbled or peeling paint, you need to remove it. If you leave this old paint, your new paint will not be smooth or uniform in appearance, plus you may deal with premature peeling.
In many cases, you will have new wood to contend with, rotten boards must be replaced before you continue your exterior house-painting project. This wood is unfinished and must be primed before you apply your first coat of paint. Primer will keep the wood from soaking up the paint and causing lighter patches on your home.
Your next prep work will involve filling cracks or holes in the siding of your home. It is important to the finished look of your house to fill these completely with a high-grade caulking. This caulk is very flexible and will not dislodge if your home settles later. Caulking only takes a few hours to dry, and you should leave the painting until it is.
Certain homes have glaze window panes before during your exterior painting you will need to fix these areas. They help with the insulation of the home, and will have an overall impact on the way your home looks. The process is relatively simple and once repaired you should wait a week before painting the area to ensure that everything has set properly. You can do the current exterior home painting everywhere else and then return to these sections a week later.
Before you get started on your exterior painting, you will need to do another walk around. Go around the house and cover any exterior fixtures to protect them from paint splashes. Tape or cover all light fixtures and door handles. If you get paint on these surfaces, you face extra cleanup time that can be avoided by proper preparation.
If you are not planning to paint your deck or patio, you will want to take the time to cover it with a drop cloth or tarp. This will prevent paint spray and splatter from getting all over everything. During your exterior house-painting project you will want to cover all walkways, drives as well, paint drops, and splatter can be hard to remove after the fact.
Now you are ready to begin applying paint to your home. The value of your exterior painting and appearance of your home will be much improved thanks to these advanced preparations. These prep techniques will also reduce your after paint clean up time, which is always good news.
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