How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Springfield needs to be updated, a new coat of paint is an easy, affordable option to improve its appearance. So if your home exterior is looking shabby or if you are simply ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your house yourself or enlist a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a huge 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 compromise with a professional painter by doing all of the prep work on your own, but then having their crew come to your home and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is right for you, you’ll still need to know 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, collect the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you are preparing to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the actual painting go a lot faster as soon as you begin. Gathering your equipment ahead of time guarantees that once you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning that you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combination. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and much easier to clean up. The flat surfaces require 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 time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the exterior of the house for its beautiful 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 recommended way to remove peeling paint, and it cleans the outside of your house. Some sections of paint may peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy 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 paint goes on the home smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any previous paint (especially with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smoother exterior with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t blend into it or result in a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and find the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a new paint job make your house look several years newer, it also provides a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your house.

Paint helps prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt cannot stick to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious signal that it is time to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.

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

Painting is a good idea if your house doesn’t seem 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 change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Springfield

After prepping is finished, you have the option to hand the job off to a professional painter in Springfield (if you hadn’t already decided 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 most efficient way to complete the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will go a lot faster.
• Companies don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will likely last longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment required to paint areas higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are prepared to handle every part of the project, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the new paint.