Tips For Painting Preparation on the Exterior of Your Home

Tips For Painting Preparation on the Exterior of Your Home

Painting preparation is one of the most important parts of any home renovation project. Quality prep work makes for a flawless paint job and prevents paint failure later on. It’s also a huge time saver and can make or break your house painting experience.

Cleaning & Prep

Before any painting begins, the exterior of your home needs to be completely clean. This includes any siding, trim, and other materials that you plan to paint. You will need to remove all dirt, mildew, peeling paint, and other blemishes that may not be visible to the naked eye. You can either do this yourself or hire a professional to help you.

Use a soap solution and water to wash down the exterior surfaces of your home. This will remove the grime that will prevent paint from adhering properly and leaving your home looking good. It is important to not over-wash your surfaces as you want to avoid damage to the paint.

Scrape off loose paint and sand flush with the surface

The most important step in preparation is to remove loose paint from your walls, especially on older or rough surfaces. If you skip this step, the new paint will flake off and leave large divots in your wall that will look unattractive and take a lot of time to fill. This process can be tedious and tiring, but it is crucial to getting the best possible paint job on your home’s exterior.

Apply a coat of stain-blocking primer before you begin painting. This will stop any stains or noticeable wood knots from showing up on the finished paint. It will also protect the painted area from any moisture that may be in the air or dripping off of your home.

Re-caulk around windows, doors and other areas where contrasting surfaces meet (like siding on one side of your home and brick on the other). You can use exterior caulk or a caulk gun to do this step.

Replace rotted wood or damaged boards

If any pieces of your home’s siding are rotting, they need to be replaced before you can paint them. Using a painter’s multi-tool or hammer, you can quickly replace any rotten pieces and set them back into place with nails that are secure. This will ensure your home stays safe from the elements and make the painting process go much faster.

Lastly, cover any furniture or floors that will be in the way of your paint project with drop sheets and protective masking. This is to prevent splatter or any other mess that could be made by a paint roller, brush, or sprayer.

Start at the top of the wall and work your way down. Depending on how detailed the wall is, you may need to apply one or two coats of paint.

Test a small sample of your chosen paint shade on the surface before applying it. This will make sure that the color matches before you spend your time and money painting the entire exterior.