Quick & Easy Exterior House Painting Tips

Guest Blogger #500,  Entry #1147, May 4, 2012

Among many household chores that we dread or simply put off, painting the exterior of a home seems to be close to the top. Whether you decide to paint your porch or a weathered side of your home, the process can be exhausting work. What many seem to forget, however, is that more than half of the job of house painting is in the prep work.

Prolong the life of your home and read the following tips to be sure you have painting prep techniques down to perfection:

Exterior home paint tips for a beautiful home

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Wash Your House:

Washing your house ensures a dirt free foundation before applying a new coat of paint, and exposes any surface flaws that you might not have noticed before. For this task, use a garden hose, or a high pressure spray cleaner for bigger houses. For dirt that’s caked on, use a sponge or scrub brush with warm water, detergent, and some elbow grease.

Sand:

Inspect the area you are painting for rough edges, and use sandpaper to smooth the edges of scraped or uneven spots. For a less tiring method, use an electric orbital sander to remove old paint and sand edges all at once.

Priming:

Once you have removed all of the loose paint, apply primer to distressed areas. Priming is always required when you are working on new wood, and it provides extra protection and a firm foundation for finishing paints.

Simple tips for painting your exterior home

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Proper Technique:

Start from top to bottom to prevent streaking. Make sure to use two layers of paint, with a brush, on all woodwork. Professionals usually use spray machines on all other surfaces. Try to paint on a dry day, as moisture that can affect the paint. Paint should be set before the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Careful attention to detail will give you the best results through the process of painting the exterior of your home. It’s now better protected from further weather damage, and has an enhanced resale value.

If you’re painting a large portion of your home’s exterior and don’t have the means or time to accomplish the task, consider hiring a professional exterior painter.

CertaPro Painters of Wayne provide professional quality interior and exterior paint jobs in Passaic and Morris Counties, New Jersey. Call 800-689-7271 for free in-house estimates.

For more exterior ideas, on Stagetecture click here.