Spring is a Great Time for Exterior House Painting
Exterior house painting is one of my favorite spring chores. After being cooped up all winter it’s quality time outdoors. Spring days are warm, grass is growing, trees are budding, and no blazing Texas summer sun. I like it! Nothing else is so cost effective in maintaining home value, beauty, and longevity as a fresh coat of paint. With a little care, guidance, and knowledge you can easily get professional results on your own. If you have no desire to do it yourself you should at least know what to expect from a professional house painter. As a licensed contractor and home builder I’ve painted hundreds of new and older homes. Here are the basics of what you need to know to get a great paint job.
Do a yearly inspection
Do a yearly inspection
- The better the original paint job the longer the job will last. Look for checks, splits, and blisters in the paint. Pay close attention to corners or ends of boards at joints. This is where moisture and movement cause problems. Watch for caulking and filler cracking or falling out. Fading paint is not necessarily a problem. The integrity of the surface is what counts. Expect to repaint every two to five years. An original high quality paint job can last longer, but five years is a good average time before repainting.
Tools needed
- Hammer–for loose boards or nail heads sticking up.
- Scraper–use whatever works for you. I use a three inch stiff chisel blade putty knife that can be resharpened.
- Eighty grit sandpaper–rarely used.
- Wire brush–used occasionally.
- Dust/debris brush–I use an old three or four inch paintbrush.
- Three inch paint brush–good quality, square across the end. A four inch brush is too big for most people–including me.
- Two inch sash brush–This is a trim tool angled on the end. Rarely used.
- Medium nap paint roller with handle–only used if you paint large areas.
- Stirring sticks.
- Paint buckets–I use empty one gallon plastic paint cans with the metal lip cut out.
- Ladders–step ladder for sure, possibly an extension ladder.
- Drop cloths–cloth drop cloths are by far the better choice.
- Masking tape and paper–rarely used.
- Rags–I use a lot of old T-shirts. Cotton rags are good.
- Caulking gun.
Paint to use
- Good quality water based exterior latex house paints and primers. We can argue all day about whether oil or water based paints are best. I have my own opinions based on experience, but either type is fine. Water based paints win out because of convenience in application and cleanup.
- Caulking and fillers–not always necessary. Use a good flexible exterior caulking or filler that readily accepts paint.
The Basic steps
- Start at one corner of the house and scrape off all loose paint, caulking, and other residue. Work up into tight spaces and corners if necessary. Drive in nail heads that have backed out.
- Brush the surface clean.
- Use drop cloths as needed.
- Mask as needed. Professional painters rarely mask–preferring to “cut” an edge with a brush.
- Prime all bare wood. Spot priming is fine.
- Paint with fairly long strokes over distinct areas with a beginning and an end. Full coverage with thin coats is best.
- For large areas, cut in the edges with a brush, then use a medium nap paint roller.
- Do a second coat if necessary.
- Clean up.
- Stand back and admire your job.
This is a basic procedure for painting your home. As you may imagine there are a lot of steps, tricks, shortcuts, and details I can add. Maybe next time!
More from Gerald Kennedy:
