Are you bothered by paint blisters and peels at your house? Or do you want something new to make your house look better? You can improve the appearance of your home drastically by painting it. Painting your house is easy as long as you are knowledgeable about it.
A well-painted house can look good for a lot of years, and achieve that, all you need is to prepare. Here are the top 10 tips you can do to ensure that your house is ready for summer painting.
1. Get The Surrounding Area Ready
Everything will be efficient and smooth sailing if you prepare the surrounding area first. Whether you are painting the interior or exterior part of the house, it would be best to remove any unnecessary things that will get in the way once you start painting. If you are painting the outer part of your house, cover and trim any plants and trees so the paint will not damage them. Moreover, external furniture and other equipment should be moved where it will not be reached by paint splatter or drops. Same with inside, you might want to move furniture from one room to another so the place will be set for the painting day.
2. Cover Everything
After getting the area ready, take extra time and effort to cover anything you don’t want to be painted. This includes not only furniture but also floor, windows, and hardware. All you need is painter’s tape, paper drop cloths, plastic sheeting, and fabric drop cloths. Don’t forget to cover doorknobs too and remove light switches and outlet covers, as they are prone to unwanted paints.
You’ll be thankful that you’ve done this step because the headache of removing excess paint everywhere is not worth it. If you still have a few accidents, you can purchase a paint remover to remove them quickly.
3. Check All The Surface For Damage
Before you start painting, inspect all the surfaces for any damage. Common damages you should look out for are:
- Cracks
- Small and Big Holes
- Popping Nails
- Water Damage
- Furniture Scuffs
- Termites
Fix them first before painting the wall, as they can make the painting process harder. Besides, damages can ruin your paint easily or shorten the life expectancy of the paint. Prepping a House for Painting needs excellent attention to detail and has many phases. Even professional paint service companies do this step to ensure that your house is well painted.
4. Scrape Off Old Paint
After you ensure that there is no damage, it is time to scrape off old paint. Ensure that you remove any clumping, cracking, flaking, and blistering paint and don’t directly paint over it. It may seem like a good idea to paint right away, but it will just hide the imperfections and will not fix the issues. You can use a wire brush or wide-blade putty knife for small areas. If it’s a bigger surface, you can attach a wire brush to an electric deal or paint scraper. Another option is a heat gun.
5. Smoothen Rough Spots
When the old paint is gone, you should smoothen the edges by sanding it. It will give you a nice smooth finished wall that is ready for paint. You can use an electric orbital sander if you have one or wrap sandpaper into a wooden block as an alternative. Smoothing rough spots will make the application easy and the paint flawless.
6. Wash The Exterior
You need to wash your house surface before painting. It is to remove any more unwanted dirt and fungi (like mildew) from the wall. If you want to do it by yourself, you can use a cleaning solution and scrub it thoroughly. Another option is buying a pressure washer or hiring a professional to do the job.
A pressure wash will strip grime and other things from your wall quickly. You just have to be careful not to damage siding by pushing water under boards or damage any wood filler from your wall or windows. If you are done with this, you can ensure that the paint will apply smoothly and adhere properly.
7. Prepare High-Quality Brushes and Rollers
Now that it’s time to apply paint, you should use high-quality brushes and rollers. Brushes and rollers will play a massive part in how the paint will look at the end. The thicker the brush or, the bigger the roller, the more paint it can hold. You don’t need to reapply because it gives you better coverage making the painting process easier and faster for you. Besides, cheap paint brushes with stiff and limp bristles will produce visible brush strokes and streaks, and to cover this, you will spend more paint. Ask the experts at your paint store which brush and rollers will best fit you.
8. Apply Primer
A primer is an undercoat applied to prepare the surface before painting. Using a primer will ensure that the paint will adhere properly to the surface. Besides, the primer will make your paint more durable and will act as another layer of protection to the wall. You can choose between latex and oil-based primer, which depends on what paint-based you are using. For primer colour, there are white, grey, or even tinted primers you can choose from. Skipping the primer can leave a lot of undesirable consequences for you.
9. Choose Paint and Top Coat
Choosing paint and topcoat is the most significant and most crucial step as this will define how the finished product will look. This needs careful consideration to avoid any wrong decision. A mistake in choosing paint will cost you a lot of money and wasted effort. For the paint, you can select between oil-based paint or water-based paint.
Oil-based paints – also known as solvent-based paints, are durable and affordable. However, they take a longer time to dry.
Water-based paints – also known as latex paints, are slightly more expensive and less durable, but the advantages are they dry faster, make clean up more manageable, and don’t emit a strong odour.
You can choose between Polyurethane, Velvet Finishes Protect, Furniture wax, Polycrylic, or Clear topcoat spray for the topcoat.
10. Practice Good Maintenance
To keep your paint looking good and new always, make sure that you practice good maintenance. Inspect walls and surfaces every once in a while for cracks and blisters. It is better to prevent them early before they spread. You should also remove molds and mildews and wash any stains, dirt, and grime right away before they stick entirely to the paint.
You are determined, you can do all of this by yourself. However, if you want it to be stress-free, you can ask for professional help. All you have to do is to supervise and ensure that all of these steps are followed.