How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Denton needs to be updated, a new coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive way to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is looking shabby or if you’re just ready for a change, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or hire a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a big project, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You just need to do your research to know how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints to use.

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

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

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are planning to do the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a plan will make the actual painting project go much faster as soon as you begin. Collecting your equipment ahead of time guarantees that once you start painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your home’s exterior is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also need to choose the right paint finishes for each part of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and much easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to start prepping the surface of the home for its beautiful new paint! Put time into pressure washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure is the recommended way to remove peeling paint, and it also cleans the outside of your home. Some of the sections of paint may peel off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off 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 necessary to sand every surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered just need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on 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 even color for your new paint, and a smoother surface with less imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or create 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 painting a home. 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, with very little humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt won’t 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 have it repainted to protect the wood surface.

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

Painting is also a good idea if your home doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s 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 completely update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Denton

After prepping is over, you have the option to hand the work off to a professional painter in Denton (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with little effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter will know the best way to do the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will move a lot quicker.
• Companies don’t make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will last longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint areas higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY capabilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are prepared to handle every part of the project, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.