Exterior painting advice

Painting the exterior of your home may seem like a hard, long, and tedious nightmare. But with careful organized planning, the project will be a fun family experience providing a sense of accomplishment with little aggravation. This article will help you accomplish just that.

Pressure Cleaning

Every exterior painting project should begin with pressure cleaning. Use a chlorine bleach solution to kill any mildew growing on the house. You can apply the solution either with a bug sprayer or an injector attachment with the pressure cleaner. The solution strength should be at least 10:1. Pressure cleaning will also remove any peeling paint, chalking, and stubborn dirt.

Patching, Caulking, Repairs

Open face cracks should be filed with a patching compound, not caulk. Caulking is used to seal windows, doors and corners. Caulk on an open face surface will flash when painted. Replace any damaged trim such as rotted fascia board or wooden door trim.

Sealer, Conditioner

An absolute necessity. I cannot stress enough the importance of sealing and priming an exterior before painting. Sealers and primers are less expensive than top coats and when properly applied reduce the amount of expensive top coats needed, saving you money. But more important is the moisture protection a good seal brings. Sealer locks out moisture and increases the life of your top coat. It prevents moisture seepage that works to break down your top coat while increasing the likelihood of mildew growth.

The Top Coats

Always choose high quality paint for the top coats. A few dollars here will make you painting experience more pleasant. Better coverage, less work, a better finish is just some of the benefits from using high quality top coats.

Flat vs. Satin

I always recommend using satin paint sheen over a flat. It is a little more expensive but worth the price. It creates a far better moisture barrier protecting the home from water seepage and mildew. A satin sheen also provides a better paint finish appearance.

Color selection:

Color Selection is a whole other area left for another article. For a simple guide, exterior trim may be painted either lighter or darker than the body depending on the neighborhood, landscape, or geographical area. The front door may be painted in a much darker, bolder color than the body and trim for more elegance. Following this simple exterior house painting guide will make your Life a lot easier