Exterior Painting: Paint the Exterior of Your House Like a Pro!

Posted On: March 4, 2014

In this article, we’re going to explain the right steps for home exterior painting. If you don’t want to do it yourself, it will give you an idea of what your house painter will do. Paint does not last forever, since the walls receive daily sunlight, wind and rain until it cracks and peels. It might be time for a house painting job where you clean the walls and apply a new coat of paint to erase the effects of the weather. Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk explains in “This Old House Magazine” that a fresh paint job is better than any other remodeling project, with the power to transform the look of a house in less time and for less money.

Clean the Walls
A good scrubbing is the first thing that you must do before starting any exterior painting job on your house. It helps to clean away any filth and peeled paint, so the new fresh coat of paint can adhere better to the walls.

Any house painter that you can hire will start cleaning the walls with a pressure washer. If you don’t have this equipment, you can use different tools that can be slower but just as effective and safe. These include a hose, a pump sprayer, and a scrub brush. Before any scrubbing, wash down the walls and leave them wet. Then use a gallon of water mixed with a cup of chlorine bleach and one cup of phosphate-free cleaner to wash the walls again. Wait for any wood siding and trim to dry. It will take a day or two.

Start with Scraping
Be careful in the phase of scraping (whether your paint contains lead or not) so you can protect yourself and your family from any toxins. Also, use a dust mask. Don’t forget what Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk says: any paint that has peeled, bubbled, or blistered has got to go.

Sand the Walls
After loosening the paint, use 50 or 80 grit sand paper (keep the dust mask on) for any paint that still adheres to the walls. A pad sander can help you to do this job quickly. Try to do a smooth transition from the paint to the exposed wood. Keep sanding until the wood is smooth.

Patch and Fill
Next, start filling the cracks and dents. If more serious repair is required, you’ll need a carpenter or a house painter that can do patching work. Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk explains that deep cracks and rotten spots are best repaired with two-step epoxies.

Primer
Primers give you a good surface to paint on. If the surface is clean and sound, you don’t need to prime, but if it’s deteriorated, you have to do it. Try to spray the walls so you can cover all the cracks and crevices for the brush phase.

Caulk
Caulk all the small joints in the siding and trim after the primer dries. Use siliconized acrylics for more flexibility and endurance. This will also keep the paint from sticking to the silicone.

Time to Paint
When considering your exterior painting job, you can choose between water-based (latex paint) or oil-based paint. The first one lasts longer, but takes more time to dry. The second is cheaper.

When applying the paint, you can use a sprayer, but be careful not to coat the gutters, roof, windows, shrubbery, or walkways. Start your exterior painting from the top and work down, first covering the shaded spaces. Wait for two days for adhesion and keep an eye on the weather. If it’s not dry outside, it can interfere with the adhesion.

You can use a brush for better control. It doesn’t matter which method or application that you use for your painting job, but any professional house painter can tell you that two coats are better than one.

If you need help with your home exterior painting job, we serve Columbus, Ohio and all of central Ohio, including Springfield, Zanesville, Mansfield, and Chillicothe. We’ll be happy to give your home a new look with our professional painting service.

(Image and excerpt from How to Paint Your House’s Exterior)