subject: Ensure Exterior Painting Success through Proper Prep Techniques [print this page] Exterior painting can be a pleasurable job to get on by helping the outer surface of your house feel more hospitable in the neighborhood. It could be a means to express yourself and let your home remain unique by means of a paint representation that makes you happy. There are some very essential preparatory procedures to consider before you begin the exterior house painting to achieve the ideal results.
The first exterior painting preparation method you should employ is washing. Over time, dirt and stain will build up on the exterior and if you leave it, the paint will not sticks well. Before you know it, your paint will be shedding.
A pressure washer with at least 2500 PSI (pounds per square inch) is the best tool for cleansing dirt and stain, specially the things the hose cannot remove. It is a great plan to go over the exterior with a bleach chemical solution to eradicate 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.
The next step you must do to complete is a wasp inspection, look for live insects but more importantly their nests. Exterior painting usually means ladder work and you do not want to encounter these nasty bugs while you are in that position. Their stings hurt something fierce and while on a ladder they could be deadly.
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 need to eliminate it. If you leave behind this old paint, your new paint will not be smooth in appearance, and also you may have to deal with premature peeling of paint.
Some exposed raw wood, including new wood, may be present. Keep in mind, if you had to do wood replacement then it is raw exposed wood. This wood will need to be primed before you begin your exterior home painting. If you don't prime the wood beforehand you'll experience bleed through of wood and cause the paint to appear uneven in areas where the raw wood is, and will need additional coats of paint.
At this point in the process, you're 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 home continues to settle. Filling these holes and cracks should give a more durable-finished look to your exterior. Most of the time you will need to allow the caulk time to dry before begining your house painting project.
If your home has damaged glazing on the window panes, before you can paint the exterior you will need to fix these places. They help with insulating your home against water and cold weather, and would have an overall impact on the way your house appears. The process is fairly simple and once repaired you must wait a week before painting the glazing to ensure that everything has set correctly. You can work on other parts of house painting that do not involve glazing, then return to these sections a week later.
Just like professional house painters, before you get started on your exterior painting, you'll need to do another walk around. Go around the home and cover all exterior equipment to protect them from paint splashes and overspray. Tape or cover all light equipment and door handles. If you get paint on these areas, you face additional cleanup time that could be prevented by proper preparation.
If you are not planning to paint your deck or patio, you'll want to take the time to cover it with a drop cloth or tarp. This will prevent paint spray and splatter from getting all over everything. During your exterior home-painting project you will want to cover all walkways, drives as well because paint drops, and splatter can be hard to remove after the fact.
Now you're prepared to start applying paint to your home. The value of your exterior painting and appearance of your house will be much improved thanks to these highly developed preparations as advised by the professional painting contractor. These preparation techniques will also reduce you're after paint clean up time, which is always good news.
Ensure Exterior Painting Success through Proper Prep Techniques
