Do These 6 things before you paint your house

It may seem like an impossible task, but as long as you take some time to prepare, painting your house will go smoothly. Once you start painting, you will notice that the work goes by quickly. 

When the exterior of your house is not prepared properly, it makes the painting job a lot more difficult. Here is what you need to do to be sure you are all prepared for the first round of painting.

Know What Color You Want and How Much

First, always know how much of your house is going to need a fresh coat of paint- this will determine how much paint you need to purchase. Sometimes, you can get away with only painting over the trim or other areas where house paint often peels. 

Of course, you are also going to want to find that perfect shade of paint. While shopping, be sure that you are listening to the advice of professionals. They will often have samples for you to test and give great advice on picking colors that look amazing on your house.

Don’t Skip on Quality

It can be tempting to buy the cheapest paints- since you are probably going to need to be buying a lot of buckets to coat your home. However, if you do this, the paint will not last long and your hard work will go to waste.

Quality paint can last up to 10 years without needing replacement. Over the long run, this will save you a bit of money and effort.

Clean the Exterior

Cleaning the exterior of the home is crucial. Otherwise, the paint will not stick to the grime, or even trap it against the outside of your house. You can pressure wash the outside of it to ensure that all of the dirt and debris is removed.

You will want to cover any yard decorations or plants near the house with a tarp or other plastic before moving on to the next step. Protecting areas that you do not want to drip paint on is also a good idea. Be sure to cover your door and windows before you get to painting.

Scrape and Sand

Once the house has been washed and is dried, you will want to search for any peeling paint. If you notice that it is cracked or lifting off the house, then you will want to scrape it off. 

You can do this with either a wide putty knife or a wire brush. You will want to work in small areas and only remove the already chipped paint. After that, take some time to sand down the area- this is will give a smooth surface for the new paint to hold on to.

Know When to Paint

At this point, you are going to want to wait for the perfect house painting day. If you do not, the paint might blister, buckle, or have other visual issues. The best days to paint house exteriors are days between 75 and 85 degrees, with very little humidity. Direct sunlight will also cause issues in the paint.

Know What Brush Works Best

A brush made from a blend of nylon and polyester works best for all latex-based paints. They have the bonus of being easy to clean as well if you want to use it later. A brush made from only polyester is great also for latex paints.

Brushes made from natural materials, such as animal hair, are used with oil-based paints. If you need to do any varnishing or use shellac, these brushes also work great for that.

You will want a larger brush- no sense in using a tiny one when you want to paint an entire house. Save the small brushes for detailing, such as on the trim. Square shaped brushes are also the best at covering larger, flat areas. So, you will end up using them a lot when painting your home. 

Other types of brushes are better for covering the corners. For example, a chisel-shaped brush is used to produce straight lines over edges. An angled brush can be used effectively on the window trim. 

Now You’re Ready!

Now that you are ready to get painting, we have a few final tips for you to help the process be a little easier.

First, you should “box your paint”. This is where you pour all of your paint cans into one container. It gives the result a more professional appearance, as the color is applied more evenly. 

Finally, be sure that you are always painting from the top of the house and work your way down. It is much easier to work with the pull of gravity than against it.

And that is how you prep your house for painting! We hope that the painting process goes well for you, without any mishaps. If you want to hire professionals in the Charlottesville, VA area to do all the work for you instead, we are here for you.