Home Exterior Painting: Where to Start
There are plenty of great reasons to paint your home’s exterior. Not only does a fresh coat of paint increase your home’s value and curb appeal, it also helps protect your home from the elements. How frequently you should touch up your home’s exterior depends on your local climate and choice of siding material. But in general, most experts say you should apply a new coat of paint about every 5-7 years.
If that time is approaching, you might decide to hire reliable Raleigh house painters to do the job. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you might do it yourself. Keep in mind, though, that painting a home’s exterior requires a lot of time and energy, before, during, and after the job. You might not even know where to start. To help you out, let’s break down some of the key components of home exterior painting.
Pressure Wash All Surfaces
There are plenty of steps to take before you should even get near a paint bucket. First, you want to make sure your home’s exterior is as clean as possible so the new coat of paint will adhere properly. Pressure washing provides a simple and effective way to clean every surface of your home, removing dirt, dust, debris, and even mold or mildew. For extra cleaning, you might choose to power wash, which adds heat to the process. However, power washing is not advised for cleaning certain surfaces like brick, as it can damage the material. Just be mindful of the detergent, nozzle, and method you employ when pressure washing.
Scrape Away Old, Peeling Paint
After the surfaces have dried, you might notice some areas where the previous paint job is peeling away. Do your best to remove this excess material by laying drop cloths underneath the area and scraping away the loose paint. Again, the smoother and cleaner the surface, the better your new coat will stick.
Take Note of Any Necessary Repairs
As you’re taking care of any loose paint, check your home’s exterior for damage. In some cases, you may simply have to caulk trim or seal up some cracks. But if you notice any severe damage, you’ll want to take care of that first.
Grab a Calculator and Make Measurements
To save yourself time and money, you want to purchase the right amount of paint for the job. This means you’ll have to make accurate measurements. Measuring an interior room for painting is relatively easy, usually requiring a single tape measure and sometimes a short ladder. Measuring your home’s exterior, on the other hand, requires some extra math.
There are several tips and shortcuts out there for estimating your home’s surface area. For standard homes, you’ll want to measure your home’s perimeter and height from ground to roofline, not including the gable just yet. Then, you’ll have to subtract the space taken up by windows and doors. The gable (which is triangular) can be measured using some high school geometry, multiplying the width and height and then dividing the number by two. You can undo that division, however, since there are likely two gable surfaces to paint. Then, don’t forget to measure other surfaces you’ll paint (such as trim).
Add up your numbers for a rough estimate of square footage to determine how many gallons of paint you’ll need. This isn’t an exact science, of course, as some homes are shaped quite differently than others. If you need help with the math, contact a Raleigh painting service.
Put in the Prep Work
Believe it or not, it’s still not time to paint yet. To ensure the best and safest paint job, you must prepare accordingly. Cover any surfaces you don’t want to be painted or splattered using drop cloths, covers, and painter’s tape. Make sure you’re using sturdy ladders that will provide you with enough height to reach all areas. If you’re using a paint sprayer, wear protective covering and a face mask to avoid paint inhalation.
Spray, Roll, and/or Brush
When it’s finally time to paint your home’s exterior, you have a few options. Many Raleigh house painting companies utilize high-powered spray painters to cover large areas quickly and effectively. Using a roller is also a good option for certain types of siding. They’ll then use brushes to cover tighter, precise, or hard to reach spots. If you’re painting with the same color as before, you probably won’t need a coat of primer. However, if you’re applying a new color, it’s best to prime the surface beforehand.
Ask the Pros for Help
Painting your home’s exterior takes some serious effort, but it’s important for maintaining your home’s value and beauty. If you don’t feel confident doing it all yourself, get some help from Anderson Painting contractors. Whether painting your home or making repairs, our team works closely with all our customers to provide the best results possible. To learn more about us and all our services, call Anderson Painting today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
