Painting the exterior of your home can significantly change the appearance and curb appeal of your premises. It should be changed every few years to create fresh looks in line with the times and aesthetic. It will not only make your home exterior aesthetically pleasing but also add value to it.
A homeowner or an expert can do exterior painting, but it should be done correctly, because the exterior of your home is the first thing a visitor sees, and it makes the first impression of your house. There are specific steps to follow, along with important Dos and Don’ts to consider.
Planning and Preparation
Painting the exterior may sound simple and an easy task to do, but behind the scenes, there are several steps that can be done before applying paint directly to the wall. Let’s have a look at these steps:
1. Cleaning Exterior Walls
Before starting the painting process, it is important to clean the walls. Indeed, in a lot of cases, exterior walls are covered with a thick coat of dust due to exposure. This makes it necessary to remove all the dirt before starting any painting process.
To do that, homeowners can wash the walls with a water pipe or a garden hose, and if the area is too big or impossible to reach every corner, the homeowner can hire a professional washing expert.
2. Peeling and Flaking Paint Removal
To have a smooth base for new paint, it is necessary to remove old peeling and flaking paint. To achieve this, place old newspapers on the ground and use a dry brush or scraper to remove the old paint. Removal of old flaking paint ensures a spotless surface for the new paint coat.
3. Damage Repair
Applying a fresh coat of paint to the damaged wall is not the best option, so to prevent this, always look for the cracks, holes, gaps, and dents in the exterior walls of the house. Once you find them, fix them properly so that they don’t disturb the look of the new paint.
When to Hire Professionals
Painting the exterior of a house is not an effortless task. There are several challenges one can face if they decide to paint the exterior of their house by themselves. The exteriors of the houses are usually very high and are often out of reach.
Therefore, doing it on your own can be very dangerous. Professionals have the right skills, tools, machines, and years of experience, and hiring a certified Seattle painting company can save your efforts and time while keeping you safe.
In addition, professionals can give a quality and well-defined finish to their work, which might be difficult to accomplish on our own.
Choosing the Right Paint
While choosing the paint for the exterior, there are a lot of things that one should keep in mind to achieve the desired result. Here are a few of them:
1. Weather and Climate
There are a myriad of paints available in the market, but choosing the right one according to your needs is a task. To ensure protection and durability, use paints suitable for specific climates.
For hot and dry climates, choose light and reflective paint that cuts down heat. For cool weather, darker paints can be the best choice because they can absorb heat, and for humid areas, moisture-resistant paint is a better option.
Furthermore, acrylic latex paint is one of the most common and preferred paints because of its protection from weather like sunny, rainy, and snowy conditions. It also has excellent resistance against UV rays, which makes it one of the best options.
2. Surroundings and Environment
The Surroundings and environment play a crucial role in choosing the right color for the home exterior. In colonial-style areas, exteriors of homes are often in subtle colors like cream and white, whereas in modern neighbourhoods, it changes into bold navy blue and dark greens.
Furthermore, in hilly areas, homes are mostly painted in dark colors because darker environments require brighter colors.
3. Personal Preference
While keeping the factors like climate, surroundings, and environment in mind, it is also important to let your preference play a significant role in choosing the right colour for your home exterior. It can be aligned with your mood, aesthetic, and style.
Application Techniques
To achieve the desired look, you should know about the techniques that are required for a smooth and spotless application.
Firstly, you have to clean the walls by washing. Next, you should inspect for cracks, gaps, and holes, and repair them as if they never existed. Use painter’s masking tape to mask off the area you don’t want to paint, which can result in a precise and clean edge as you want.
Divide the area and work in sections to regulate your work. Always apply a good-quality primer first for a smooth finish.
Painting even a single wall has a lot of techniques, but the most famous and effective one is the zigzag or the ‘M’ pattern technique, in which you have to move your brush or roller in an M pattern.
If you are aiming for a luxurious finish, apply more than one coat of paint, but before applying the second coat, let the first coat dry.
In the end, don’t forget to remove the masking tape. And voila, you have a smooth, finished, newly painted exterior wall.
Don’t Rush the Process
Patience is one of the crucial parts of painting. Rushing can lead to empty spots, smudges, and marks that can make you do everything from the start.
To prevent this, don’t rush to finish the painting process in a single day. Divide the work into several days to ensure quality and finish, and this way, you can analyze the corrections, adjustments, and progress more effectively.
Clean Up and Maintenance
After painting, the next prime concern should be proper cleanup and maintenance. Here is how you can do it:
1. Clean Up
Cleaning up can be tiring and boring, but it’s necessary and important. You can start by removing the masking tape after the paint dries completely. Store the leftover paint for future touch-ups if the paint wears off. Clean brushes and rollers thoroughly before the paint dries. These easy steps will make this task easier than you think.
2. Maintenance
Well-planned maintenance can make a freshly painted exterior last longer. Annually washing the exterior can prevent mildew. Regular inspection of minor damage can lead to early fixes. Being proactive by doing these steps can save money and time in the future.
Conclusion
Painting your home exterior can be overwhelming, but it adds great value to it, both emotionally and financially. Exterior paint acts as a barrier against weather damage, rain, snow, sun, and wind. It protects the walls from moisture, UV rays, mold, and sudden temperature change.
As a first-time painter or a newbie, it can be a bit difficult task, but by following these do’s and don’ts, one can achieve stunning results. These results can last for years.
By doing practices to maintain the newly painted home exterior, you will protect your investment and maintain your home’s curb appeal for years.
When not necessary to paint the exterior of a house?
According to Rico de Paz, who oversees consumer reports, paint tests, “It should be at least 50° F when you’re applying the paint and shouldn’t drop below 32° F at night for several days after,”.
How many coats does exterior paint need?
Two coats are the best option as the exterior paint needs to protect the wall from different weather conditions, UV rays, and moisture.
What type of paint is best for the exterior?
Acrylic paint is the best option available on the market. It provides durability, flexibility, and is the best formulation available in the market as it is breathable, which allows moisture to escape, which helps to stop peeling and flaking of paint.
What are the safety rules for painting?
Painting can be fun, but some dangers can cause injuries. These safety measures can protect you from those dangers:
1. Wear safety gear like eye protection glasses, gloves, a mask, and proper painting clothes.
2. The exterior of the home is usually high, so a good quality ladder is a necessity.
3. Paints are usually very toxic and contain chemicals that make it necessary not to touch the eyes and mouth while painting.
