Exterior Home Painting Tips

Latest news from Medias Painting and Power Washing Company

02/22/2009

  Painting the exterior of your house is a huge undertaking. There is a big surface area out there, and failing to properly painting prepare, and cover each surface, will result in paint that peels and flakes quickly. To do the exterior painting job right, there are some simple steps to follow.

STEP 1 Evaluate the Wood and Metal Condition of Your Home
•     The south side is invariably the worst because of sun exposure. Run your hand over the siding. Is there a chalky residue? Then you must power wash the house. Acrylic paints will not adhere to the chalking. Power washing will also take care of dirt, mildew and some loose paint. It represents a valuable and inexpensive service.
•    Check under eaves, along soffits and on the north side of your home for mildew. Generally, mildew will not grow where it is sunny, but it loves shady, moist spaces. Mildew will bleed through your new paint. To get rid of it, use a mildew removal solution or a strong solution of bleach mixed with water. You can also ask at the paint store about mildew-resistant paints or additives that can be used with any paint to kill mildew.
•    With a screwdriver, poke at the trim to check for rotting wood. Any wood that remains damp for extended periods may rot. Check windowsills and doorsills, wood siding close to the ground and soffit that may get damp from water backing up in gutters. Replace anything that is rotted. Clean and align the gutters while you are there to remedy the problem.
•    Considering any rusted metal on your home.
•    Carefully inspect any trim that is made of pine. Lower grades of pine will have knots that ooze sap. This must be sealed before you paint, or the sap will discolor the paint.
•    Check for wasps, bats and squirrels. You do not want to have a close encounter with wildlife while you are up on a ladder.

STEP 2 Make a List of Work and Supplies NeededIt is recommended to use only good quality tools and materials. Cheap tools and paint cost in time and touching up what you thought you saved with that bargain price.Supplies could include: 
    •    Power washer 
    •    Wood primer 
    •    Rust inhibiting primer 
    •    Scrapers 
    •    High Grade Caulking and a good caulking gun 
    •    Exterior speckle 
    •    Sandpaper and a sanding block or palm sander 
    •    Brushes, rollers or sprayer.

STEP 3 PreparationIf your house is relatively clean, without mildew, chalking or excessive failing paint, you do not need to power wash. Hose it down to get rid of dirt and cobwebs, and scrub grimy areas with a large brush.If you power wash wood siding and trim, take care not to gouge the wood. You can remove a lot of loose paint from wood surfaces. When it dries, you will still need to do some hand scraping. Metal, aluminum and vinyl siding can often be completely stripped of failing paint with a power washer.Moldings may need to be carefully removed and scraped down by hand to remove old layers of paint. If you have a newer home, it may be simpler to buy new moldings to replace existing ones. Avoid the temptation to paint over existing coats on moldings, especially if they are already thick with several layers of stain or paint. Each additional layer of paint obscures the detail in the moldings, making them lose their impact. The exception to the rule is egg-and-dart moldings found on older homes. These are made of pressed plaster, not wood, and they should be left in place if the are intact. Most egg-and-dart moldings were custom pressed for each job, and they cannot be restored or matched without the help of a skilled plasterer. Synthetic versions are now available, but these will not match existing moldings.If you are replacing any trim or siding, prime it on all sides before installing. After primer is completely dry, caulk joints and cracks. Use exterior vinyl spackle to fill knot and nail holes. Spot prime the spackle. There’s no need to prime caulking. Allow caulk and spackle to dry before painting over it.Paint rarely fails over broad surfaces. It usually starts small—at a crack in the caulk or a separation in a joint - but these small problems grow and soon become major if you neglect them. Before you know it, you’re spending your whole summer scraping and painting your house. Don’t let little problems ruin an entire paint job.Bare wood and rusted metal should be primed with the appropriate primer. If you have knotholes, prime them with a material that is designed to seal in the sap.All surfaces must be completely dry before using oil-based paints or primers of any kind.Despite what the paint can label says, you can paint acrylic primers or paints on damp wood, as long as you let it dry fully between coats. In fact, this is preferable to painting bone dry wood on a hot day, because it will penetrate much better.Unless your house was last painted in the 1970s, assume the current paint is acrylic. You do not have to sand all glossy areas. Do sand your front door to ensure it is smooth and pretty. Built-up paint can be sanded smooth around the edges; this is time-consuming and a palm sander works best. Be aware that wood is softer than paint and it’s easy to gouge the wood.Using flat paint on the body of your house will minimize irregularities. Satin or semi gloss is best for all the trim.

Step 4 Start PaintingThe fastest way to get the body of your house painted is with an airless paint sprayer. Most houses can be sprayed in one to two days, even if you do not have too much experience. It’s actually rather fun. Be careful not to lay a heavier coat of paint this way.Take great care to cover and mask windows, bushes and anything else you do not want painted. Don’t try spraying your gutters by yourself, because it is possible the overspray to drift onto the roof and you’ll never get rid of it.Be aware that paint can drift quite a distance, even in a light breeze, so make sure vehicles are parked well away from the house.If you don’t spray, use a high-quality three- to four-inch brush and a roller, and work from a five-gallon bucket with a grid, instead of a pan. Brush first, and then roll. Paint the trim last.Use two coats of paint, especially over primed and weathered areas.

Not only will painting your house make it look wonderful, you are protecting the surfaces from further deterioration, sealing energy-losing gaps with caulking and improving the vale of your home. Exterior painting tips like these can make a big difference in the project and its completion. Taking your time to do a good job on these projects can help you to realize a great end result.

Medias Painting Contractor - Do it Yourself
www.mediaspainting.com