How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Dayton needs to be updated, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a fast, affordable option to improve its appearance. So if your home exterior is starting to look shabby or if you are simply ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your house yourself or enlist a local painter to do it for you.

Painting a home is a big job, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You have to do your research to understand how to prep the exterior surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints you need to use.

You can also compromise with a professional painter by doing all of the prep work on your own, but then letting their team come to your home and do the painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever option is right for you, you will still want to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, collect the ladders and other safety equipment. If you are preparing to do the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go much faster as soon as you begin. Gathering your equipment beforehand guarantees that once you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The best part of painting your home is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also want to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll want to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are efficient options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of the house for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the most effective way to remove peeling paint, and it simultaneously cleans the outside of your house. Some areas of paint will peel off as you spray over them. That’s a sign that the paint was aging and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip the primer! Primer is a very important step because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smoother surface with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t blend into it or produce a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter can look at the weather forecast and tell you the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with very low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a brand new paint job make your home look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection to the overall structure of your house.

Paint can help prevent insects from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from inclement weather. High quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt cannot adhere to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious sign that it is time to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Deteriorating paint takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your house is one of the simplest things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your house doesn’t seem to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out too much, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely update its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Dayton

After the prepping is done, you might want to turn the work over to a professional painter in Dayton (if you hadn’t already decided that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with minimal effort on your part.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

• A professional painter knows the most efficient way to do the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will move a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t make a mess. Their results will be neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and experience, your new exterior paint will probably last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint anything above ground level.

Based on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to take care of each part of the job, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the new paint.