How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Independence has to be updated, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a quick, inexpensive way to improve its appearance. So if your house is looking worn down or if you are simply ready for a change, consider repainting the outside of your home yourself or enlist a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a huge job, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You have to do your research to understand how to prep the exterior surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints to use.

You can even compromise with a professional painter by doing all of the prep work yourself, but then having their crew come over and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever choice is best for you, you’ll still need to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and other safety equipment. If you’re preparing to do the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a plan will help to make the painting go a lot faster once you begin. Organizing your materials beforehand guarantees that when you start painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combination. You will also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll need to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to start prepping the exterior of the home for its brand new paint! Invest time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the recommended way to eliminate old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your home. Some of the areas of paint may peel right off as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a metal or plastic 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 the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is an important step because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in an even color for your new coat, and a smooth exterior with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t mix with it or produce a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the weather forecast and determine the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a new paint job make your house look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall structure of your home.

Paint will help prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt cannot adhere to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.

Aging paint takes a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the simplest things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your home doesn’t seem to “fit in” in the neighborhood (but you want it to). If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out too much, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different paint color can totally update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Independence

After the prepping is complete, you can hand the project over to a professional painter in Independence (if you hadn’t already decided that from the start!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with less effort on your part.

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, which means the paint will look a lot better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and experience, your new exterior paint will probably last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint anything higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are fully prepared to handle every part of the job, from eliminating old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the new paint.