5 Tips for Perfect Exterior Painting
Painting the exterior of your home can help to save you big bucks. While exterior home painting certainly isn’t easy, it can be done by most homeowners willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Before you begin painting the exterior of your home, be sure you have plenty of safe ladders or scaffolding to work from. Whether you buy your own or rent, always make certain that OSHA approved ladders or scaffold is used when painting in elevated locations.
Digging the Dirt
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when painting the exterior of their home is to paint right to the ground. You walls extend down below the ground line, so getting the paint down deep takes a little bit of digging with a flat head shovel. Exterior Painting Tip #1: Excavate around the exterior of your home down at least 4-6″ below the natural grade line.
Removing and Covering
Before painting around the exterior of your home, you’ll need to protect anything you don’t want paint getting on. Since more than likely you’ll be using a heavy roller or spray rig to paint most of your home’s exterior, covering these areas with drop cloths or painter’s plastic can ensure you keep your home mess free and your paint job looking professional. Exterior Painting Tip #2: Cover outlets, fixtures, windows and doors with painters tape and plastic.
Cleaning
Removing all of the debris, dust and dirt from your home’s exterior is important. With too much caked on dirt, spider webs or dust, your new exterior paint isn’t going to stick for very long to your home. Consider using a pressure washer to remove any debris from high to reach places. A stiff bristled brush works just as well and without a wet mess. Exterior Painting Tip #3: Be sure to remove any debris from the exterior of the home prior to painting.
Repairing
Damages that have occurred from water, insect or sunlight damage won’t last long, even when it’s been caked over with that big blob of paint. Be sure to replace and repair any damages to wood siding, stucco or other exterior wall materials before applying on the exterior paint and you can be sure you’ll do less maintenance in the future. Exterior Painting Tip #4: Be sure to repair any damages to the exterior walls prior to painting.
Three Coat Rule
While it may seem economical to only add a coat or two of paint, don’t waste your time. Without at least three coats of paint, you can be sure your new paints lifespan will be significantly shortened and damages or more likely to occur to your home’s exterior. Exterior Painting Tip #5: Always paint three coats of exterior grade paint to ensure a long paint lifespan.
More Home Improvement Articles by Eric Brennan
Five Ways to Go Green during a Kitchen Remodel
