How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

home exterior painting

If your house in Tempe has to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is a fast, affordable way to improve its curb appeal. So if your home is looking worn down or if you are just ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your home yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a house is a huge project, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You need to do your research to understand how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints to use.

You can also partner with a painter by completing all the prep work on your own, but then having their team come in and do the actual painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is best for you, you will still want to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

  1. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you’re planning to complete the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting project go a lot faster as soon as you begin. Organizing your materials ahead of time guarantees that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and search for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
  2. Choose good paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your home is deciding the color or color combination. You will also want to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is 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 want synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also time-saving options if possible.
  3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the exterior of the home for its brand new paint! Invest time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the recommended way to eliminate peeling paint, and it simultaneously cleans the outside of your home. Some sections of paint may peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and needed to be replaced!
  4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being diligent not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on the home smooth.
  5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it covers up any previous paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smoother exterior with less imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first layer of paint won’t blend into it or leave behind a rough patch on the surface.
  6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the forecast and find the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re experts! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is somewhere 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 structure of your home.

Paint will help prevent pests from eating or clawing 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 adhere to paint the same way it does to bare 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 go ahead and have it repainted to protect the wood surface.

Aging paint really takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the easiest 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, or if it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can totally change its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Tempe

After prepping is over, you can turn the project off to a professional painter in Tempe (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with little effort from you.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

  • A professional painter will know the best way to complete the job, which means the paint will look a lot better and the project will be done a lot quicker.
  • Companies don’t make a mess. Their results will be much neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
  • Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will probably last a lot longer than if you painted yourself.
  • A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint surfaces higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY skills and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are fully prepared to take care of each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to actually applying the paint.

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