How to Prepare Your Home for Painting
If your home in Roseville has to be updated, a new coat of paint is an easy, inexpensive option to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is starting to look shabby or if you are simply ready for a change, consider repainting the exterior of your home yourself or enlist a local painter to do it for you.
Painting a home is a big project, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You just need to do your research to understand how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as which brushes and paints to use.
You can even meet in the middle with a painter by completing all of the prep work by yourself, but then letting their team come to your home and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.
Whichever choice is right for you, you’ll still need 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
- Decide which parts of the home to paint, collect the ladders and other safety equipment. If you’re preparing to do the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go much faster as soon as you begin. Collecting your tools beforehand ensures that when you start painting, you won’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
- Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also time-saving options.
- Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to start prepping the surface of your home for its beautiful new paint! Put time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the recommended way to eliminate peeling paint, and it simultaneously cleans the exterior of your home. Some of the areas of paint should peel right off as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
- Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered just need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smoothly.
- Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any previous paint (especially with dark colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the first layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or result in a rough patch.
- Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re experts! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with very little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.
Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea
Not only does a new paint job make your home look years newer, it also creates a layer of protection to the overall exterior of your home.
Paint can help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt won’t stick to paint the same way it does to wood.
Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it needs to be replaced. If paint is peeling, you really need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.
Worn paint really takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the best things you can do.
Painting is also a good idea if your home doesn’t seem to “fit in” in the neighborhood (but you want it to). If your home’s color makes it stand out too much, or if it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different color can completely change its look.
Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Roseville
After the prepping is complete, you have the option to hand the work over to a professional painter in Roseville (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also ensures that the results will exceed expectations with minimal effort from you.
Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:
- A professional painter knows the best way to do the job, meaning the paint will look a lot better and the project will move a lot quicker.
- Companies don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
- Due to their skill and knowledge, your new paint will last longer than if you painted by yourself.
- A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint areas higher than ground level.
Based on your DIY skills and desires, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to handle each part of the project, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to applying the paint.