10 Steps to Painting Home Exteriors

Published by: Donna Kshir
Published on: 2010-01-10 15:26:13

Painting the exterior of your home consists of a lot of time, dedication and hard work, but the end results can be a rewarding experience. Today, our homes are our biggest and most profitable asset. By painting the exterior of your home every few years, it can maintain a visual appeal and add value to your home.

A quality paint job can extend the life of your home's siding and trim. Long term, this will save you a lot of time and money. Completing the job and getting it done right consists of more than just applying a new coat of paint to your home's existing exterior. A successful and quality job requires some careful planning and a lot of prep work. Here are a few steps to help you achieve a quality and professional outcome.

Step 1
The biggest and hardest decision you will have to make is choosing a color to paint your house. If you are unsure, your local paint dealer or home improvement center carries a large variety of sample colors. If you have your heart set on keeping your home the same color, it is a good idea to bring a small piece of your existing siding and trim to your local paint dealer or home improvement center to properly and correctly match the existing paint.

Step 2
This can be hard to determine, but do your best to estimate the amount of paint you will need to complete the painting process.. The amount of paint you will need will vary depending on the type of surface you are painting and the amount of square footage to be painted. It is a good idea to consult with your local paint dealer or home improvement center specialist, who can help you determine an estimated amount of paint you will need.

Step 3
Once you select the color of your choice, it is time to use a paint scraper to remove any loose, chipping, cracking or peeling paint from the surface of your home. Always place a drop clothes to collect paint chips, this will avoid contaminating the earth.

Step 4
Once you scraped the old paint from your home, carefully examiner the exterior for chips, cracks, holes or other imperfections. Fill all holes, cracks or existing imperfections with the appropriate caulk or filler; always include the siding and trim work.

Step 5
It is a good idea to pressure wash the exterior of your home using a mix of water and bleach to remove all dirt, mold and mildew that may have acquired over time do to weather conditions. The mix should be a rate of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. Wet the exterior of your home, spray bleach mix onto the exterior and leave set for five minutes before rinsing. It is best to do so in a short time span. This is to avoid the bleach from laying on the surface too long and causing damage to your home.

Step 6
Once your home's exterior is clean; sand all surfaces to be painted. This will buff out any rough patches on imperfections on the surface of your home.

Step 7
It is important to repeat Step 5, cleaning your home's exterior.

Pressure wash the exterior of your home using a mix of water and bleach to remove all any dust from the sanding process. The mix should be a rate of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. Wet the exterior of your home, spray bleach mix onto the exterior and leave set for five minutes before rinsing. It is best to do so in a short time span. This is to avoid the bleach from laying on the surface too long and causing damage to your home.

Step 8
Allow proper time for the surface to dry and apply a thin coat of primer. Cover the entire surface you plan on painting with primer. Using a primer will allow the paint to grab, stick and hold stronger to the surface.

Step 9
Allow the primer proper dry time. Now it is time to apply the first coat of paint. As important as it is to use high quality paint, it is just as important to use quality paint brushes and rollers.

Step 10
After you have allowed the first coat of paint proper dry time, apply a second coat of paint. Allow it to dry before re-installing the shutters or other hardware.

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