How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Troy needs to be updated, a new coat of paint is an easy, affordable way to improve its appearance. So if your home is looking worn down or if you’re just ready for something different, consider painting the exterior of your house yourself or enlist a local painter to do the job for you.

Painting a home is a big project, but it isn’t an impossible job for most homeowners. You have to do your research to understand how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints you need to use.

You can team up with a professional painter by completing all of the prep work on your own, but then having their crew come to your home and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

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

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are preparing to do the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the actual painting project go a lot faster once you get started. Gathering your tools beforehand guarantees that when you start painting, you won’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The best part of painting your home is deciding the color or color combo. You will also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to start prepping the exterior of the house for its brand new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the most effective way to remove peeling paint, and it also cleans the exterior of your house. Some sections of paint may peel right off as soon as you spray over them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being diligent not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smooth exterior with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or leave behind a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re experts! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is 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 brand new paint job make your home look several years newer, it also adds a layer of protection to the overall exterior of your house.

Paint can help prevent insects from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t adhere to paint the same way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious signal that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, 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 exterior. If you’re worried about curb appeal, painting your house is one of the best things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your house doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s color makes it stand out too much, or if the opposite is true and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can totally change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Troy

After the prepping is done, you can turn the job off to a professional painter in Troy (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with little effort from you.

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

• A professional painter will know the most efficient way to do the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will move a lot faster.
• Companies don’t make a mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new paint will last a lot longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint anything higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY abilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are prepared to take care of every part of the project, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to actually applying the new paint.