How to Prepare Your Home for Painting
If your home in Largo needs to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is an easy, affordable option to improve its curb appeal. So if your home is looking shabby or if you’re just ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your house yourself or hire a professional painter to do the job for you.
Painting a home is a huge project, but it isn’t an impossible job for most homeowners. You have to do your research to understand how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints you need to use.
You can partner with a painter by completing all the prep work by yourself, but then letting their crew come over and do the painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.
Whichever choice is right for you, you will still need to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to remember.
6 House Painting Preparation Tips
- Choose which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are planning to do the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will help to make the painting project go much faster as soon as you get started. Organizing your equipment ahead of time guarantees that when you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the entire time you are painting.
- Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combination. You will also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and much easier to clean. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are efficient options.
- Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the exterior of your house for its brand new paint! Invest time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure is the best way to remove old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your house. Some sections of paint should peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
- Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smooth.
- Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is an important step because it covers up any previous paint (especially with dark paint colors), results in 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 doesn’t blend into it or result in a rough patch.
- Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees, and with very little humidity. This will lead to 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 for the overall exterior of your house.
Paint will help prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from the elements. High quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt cannot stick to paint the same way it does to wood.
Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling on your home, 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 appearance. 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 it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can totally update its vibe.
Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Largo
After prepping is over, you have the option to hand the work off to a professional painter in Largo (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with minimal effort from you.
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 go a lot quicker.
- Companies don’t make a mess. Their results will be much neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
- Due to their skill and experience, your new paint will last longer than if you did the job yourself.
- A professional painter will have the safety equipment needed to paint anything higher than ground level.
Based on your DIY skills and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are fully prepared to handle each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the new paint.