subject: Get Desired Exterior Painting Results Through proper Preparation [print this page] Exterior painting can be a pleasurable task to take on by helping the outer surface of your home feel more friendly in the neighborhood. It can be a way to express yourself and let your house stay unique by means of a paint scheme that makes you happy. There are some very significant preparatory procedures to remember before you begin the exterior home painting to attain the perfect outcome.
Your first step in planning for exterior painting is to clean the exterior well. Dirt and stain that builds up over time can prevent the paint from adhering well to the surface. In a unusually short time, you'll be dealing with peeling paint.
A pressure washer with at least 2500 PSI (pounds per square inch) is the best tool for cleansing dirt and stain, specially the stuff the hose cannot remove. It is a great plan to go over the exterior with a bleach chemical solution to kill mildew or mold before it grows. If you paint over the surface without killing mold or mildew, you provide a dark place for mildew to thrive and eventually damage the exterior of your home.
Next, walk around the exterior of the house and make sure there are no wasp nests there. If you're painting and using a ladder these horrible insects can create a potential hazard, and their stings could be painful and deadly in certain situations..
It is now time to work on scraping loose or peeling paint form the exterior of your home. Wherever you find bubbled or shedding paint, you want to eliminate it. If you leave behind this old paint, your new paint most likely not be smooth in appearance, and you may have to deal with premature peeling of paint.
It is possible that you'll have some new wood to cover; certain areas may need repairing with raw wood. In this case,you will need to remember to prepare the new pieces before you begin your exterior house-painting job. Skipping this step would result in patches where the paint is lighter or wood bleeds through, which will in turn take more coats to provide uniform color.
At this point in the process, you are prepared to fill any cracks that have appeared in the exterior. The best substance for this is a high-grade caulk with a great deal of flexibility, just in case your house continues to settle. Filling these holes and cracks should give a more durable-finished look to your exterior. Most of the time you'll need to allow the caulk time to dry before begining your house painting project.
If your house has glazed windows, you will have to fix this place before continuing your exterior house painting. Glazed panes have an impact on the way your home looks and provide a bit of insulation as well. They are generally easy to fix but once they are finished you'll have to wait a week before painting. That does not mean your job should come to a standstill, you can continue to paint other areas while you wait and then return to the window area later.
Just like professional house painters, before you get started on your exterior painting, you will need to do another walk around. Go around the house and cover all exterior furniture to protect them from paint splashes and overspray. Tape or cover all light equipment and door handles. If you get paint on these surfaces, you face extra cleanup time that can be avoided by proper preparation.
Tarps and drop cloths are incredibly essential as well. You'll need to cover your patio, deck, walkways and possibly even parts of your drive way. Anytime you are doing an exterior painting project, paint will splatter or overspray, which could leave a fine mess if you are not using appropriate coverings. Moreover, paint drops could be quite difficult to remove.
At this point, you're prepared to begin your exterior home-painting job. These are preparations you will typically see completed by a painting contractor because they will result in a good-looking finished product and longer lasting paint job. In addition, you've significantly reduced your clean up time afterward.
Get Desired Exterior Painting Results Through proper Preparation
