How to Prepare Your Home for Painting
If your house in Port St Lucie needs to be updated, a fresh coat of paint is a fast, affordable way to improve its appearance. So if your home exterior is starting to look shabby or if you’re simply ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your home yourself or pay a professional painter to do the job for you.
Painting a house is a huge project, but it isn’t an impossible job for most homeowners. You just need to do your research to know how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints you need to use.
You can also team up with a painter by doing all the prep work on your own, but then having their crew come in and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.
Whichever option 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
- Choose which parts to paint, collect the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are planning to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go much faster as soon as you get started. Organizing your tools ahead of time ensures that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
- Choose good paint and brushes. The best part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combo. You’ll also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and much easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. 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 begin prepping the surface of your home for its brand new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the best way to remove old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your home. Some of the areas of paint may peel right off as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
- Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface 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 coat of paint goes on smooth.
- Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or leave behind a rough patch on the surface.
- Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with little humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.
Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea
Not only will a new paint job make your house look several years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your home.
Paint can help prevent insects from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt doesn’t stick to paint the same way it does to wood.
Peeling paint is an obvious sign that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you really need to have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.
Aging paint really takes a toll on your home’s exterior. 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. If your home’s color makes it stand out too much, or if the opposite is true and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely update its vibe.
Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Port St Lucie
After prepping is complete, you might want to turn the work off to a professional painter in Port St Lucie (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed expectations with less effort from you.
Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:
- A professional painter knows the most efficient way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will be a lot faster.
- Pros don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled around home.
- Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will likely last a lot longer than if you painted by yourself.
- A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint surfaces higher than ground level.
Based on your DIY skills and interests, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are fully prepared to handle every part of the project, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the new paint.