How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Cedar Park has to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive way to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is looking shabby or if you’re simply ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or pay a local painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a big job, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You just need to do your research to understand how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints you need to use.

You can meet in the middle with a painter by completing all the prep work by yourself, but then letting their team come over and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever choice is best for you, you’ll still want 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

1. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you’re planning to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a plan will make the actual painting project go a lot faster as soon as you begin. Organizing your tools ahead of time guarantees that when you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your home is deciding the color or color combination. You will also want to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll want to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of your home for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the recommended way to eliminate old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your home. Some sections of paint should peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand 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 smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any previous paint (especially important with dark colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smoother surface with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or produce a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter is able to look at the weather forecast and tell you the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with low humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only can a new paint job make your house look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your home.

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt won’t adhere 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 on your home, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Deteriorating paint takes a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the easiest things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your home doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s color makes it stand out, or if the opposite is true and you want it to stand out, a different color can completely update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Cedar Park

After the prepping is done, you have the option to turn the job off to a professional painter in Cedar Park (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed your expectations with less effort from you.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

• A professional painter knows the best way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look a lot better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and knowledge, your new paint will last longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint surfaces above ground level.

Depending on your DIY skills 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 job, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.