Painting the exterior of your house is much more than a new look. A well-done paint job raises a preventative barrier against wind, rain, and other inclement weather. With time and some financial investment to improve your home, you need to ensure that the work has been done correctly and with the best possible materials. This will extend the life of your exterior paint. Even though it will take you a long time, you can look at how to prepare your house before the painting.
8 Steps to Prepare Your House before Painting
Pick the Right Time of Year
It's important to consider the time of year when painting the exterior of your home, as temperatures that are too cold or too hot can ruin your painting efforts.
- So, the best time to paint your home is in late spring or early fall. Also, remember to check the weather to make sure it will not rain on the days you have chosen to paint your house.
Related Resource: How you make your painting in ease
Clean the Surface of the House
If you're lucky, the only preparation you'll need to do before you start painting is cleaning the surface of your home. Use a garden hose to wash the walls and loosen stubborn dirt with a broom and a little warm water with soap.
- Alternatively, you can use a Karcher to clean stubborn dirt and remove paint stains. Just be careful not to damage your home by overdoing the power of the jet.
- Remember to wash from top to bottom and allow surfaces to dry completely before you start painting.
Scrape off the Used Paint
If you see old cracked paint on the surface of your home, you are going to need to remove it first. This includes loose paint that blisters or cracks.
- If you don't remove the old, cracked paint before you start, the fresh paint you spread on it will not adhere properly to the surface of your home.
- Use a broom or paint scraper to brush away any loose paint from your house, and use a hand sander (a piece of sandpaper around a block of wood) for sanding the surfaces a little too rough.
- If you see thick deposits of old paint that you need to remove, you will need a heat gun, which will melt the paint and remove it from the wall.
Fix What Needs Fixing
Before you start painting, you should examine your home for damage and make any necessary repairs. It takes a little more effort, but this way, you will be sure that your home will look immaculate when you finish painting it.
- Walk all around your home and look for shingles or split siding, rust, mildew, or sticking nails. Pay extra attention to areas around windows and doors where should replace old putty.
- You will need to remove rust and mildew from all surfaces where you see them. You also need to plug and sand the cracked coating, replace loose sealant and split shingles, and repair leaking gutters and downspouts.
Think about how much paint you are going to need
You should know how much paint you need before you start painting. This will prevent you from running out of paint in the middle of the job.
You must read this: WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF BEST PAINTING
- To get an idea of how much paint you'll need, measure the perimeter and the height of the house (not including the roof) and multiply those two numbers together.
- Then divide that number by the square footage shown on the paint bucket you want to use. This will give you the amount of paint (in gallons, i.e., in increments of 4 liters) you will need for a single coat. However, it is better that you add 4 liters to this number to be sure.
- If you want to calculate how much extra paint you need to paint the roofs, measure the height and width of the gables, multiply those numbers together, then divide them by 2. This will give you the area of the roofs in square feet, which you can then include in your necessary paint calculations.
- Keep in mind that some exterior surfaces, for example, shingles, masonry, and stucco, need 10-15% more paint than flat, smooth surfaces, considering the same surface.
- The method of applying the paint will also affect the type of paint you need. For example, spray paints require two to three times more paint (for a wall of the same size) than brushes or rollers.
Prepare the Surface
In some cases, you will need to apply the first coat of primer to your home's surface before you start painting. The primer provides a good base for your paint and will allow it to last longer, as it provides additional protection against the elements.
- There are some more vulnerable areas of your home that you will need to apply primer, especially if you have exposed hardwood cladding. And with metal during the home prep, or if you scraped off a lot of old paint.
- You will also need to apply primer if you are painting new wood for the first time or completely changing your house's color.
- The type of primer you use will depend on the type of paint you have chosen. For example, if you want to use latex paint, you need a latex primer. If you want to use solvent-diluted paint, you need a solvent-based primer. And if you want to use metal paint, you need a metal primer.
Choose your Paint
Choose a very good quality exterior paint, for example, 100% acrylic latex paint. This will give you better color, and it will dry faster and last you longer.
- Find a paint with a higher percentage of solids by volume and choose cans of paint marked "premium" or "super-premium" rather than buying cheaper brands.
- Think seriously about what color you want to use for your home. Take into consideration the appearance of your house and make sure that the house's color will go well with that of the roof, bricks, or stone used.
- Consider getting samples of your favorite paints or paint strips to apply to a darker part of your home. Then, take a few days to see how the samples look in different lights and decide which one you prefer.
Mix the Paint
If you bought several cans of paint, you need to mix all the paint in one large container.
- This step is necessary because the color in different jars may vary slightly, even if it is written that it is the same. You will get the same color by mixing them.
- Keep the paint cans anyway. That way, if you have any paint left over when you're done, you can pour it into the original jars and seal them.
- From then on, you need to cover the perimeter around your house with a drop cloth to prevent paint from staining your patio or plants.
Contact Expert Mover for painting your house; we have a professional, skilled team that works with dedication. Expert Mover is the leading relocation company in Dubai and across the UAE, offering a wide range of moving and packing services. Whether you are planning a house move, office relocation, or apartment shifting, Expert Mover ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience. In addition to moving services, the company also provides professional handyman support, cleaning, painting, storage, and transportation solutions tailored to meet your needs.
