5 Tips for Painting Your Home’s Exterior

Are you looking to give your home a fresh coat of paint before you put it on the market? Have you noticed recently that your property’s exterior paint job is looking a little worse for the wear? If so, then you need to learn a few tricks for painting your home’s exterior to perfection.

Doing so can give your home an aesthetic with precision and a beautiful coat. Anyone that walks/drives past it will be forced to do a double-take.

See below for an in-depth guide on different tips you should follow while painting a house. You’ll be glad that you did!

1. Know the Signs

Did you know that there are telltale signs that your home needs a fresh exterior paint job? Contrary to popular belief, exterior paint serves more of a purpose than improving the looks of your home. It’s also used for benefits such as:

• Protecting your home from the elements
• Extending the lifespan of your home’s siding material
• Preventing rot
• Boost the value of your home

You must understand the reasons to repaint your home so that you can make the proper call on what paint brand to use, which exterior painting company to hire, whether or not you need to make a few repairs before you paint, and so on.

Too many homeowners ignore these signs and are forced to deal with the consequences. The value of their home ends up suffering in the long run.

2. Search for Rot

For those of you that have a wooden exterior on your home, you’ll want to take this project as an opportunity to search for signs of rot. After all, if you’re going to go to the effort of painting your home’s exterior, you want to make sure you won’t have to replace certain pieces down the line.

You’ll want to take the time to inspect for rotting on your wood siding, any wooden doors, wooden door frames, wooden window frames, and any other wooden feature on the outside of your home. 

This can be done by simply going around and tapping on the wood. Does it sound strong and dense or weak and hollow? If it’s the latter, then it’s generally a sign of rot. You’ll want to replace that piece before you start painting.

Rot can start in a wooden feature of your home’s exterior for a few reasons. It could be due to the moisture the wood was exposed to during a storm, the effect of usual wear and tear, or a sign of a termite infestation problem. 

Whatever the reasoning, make sure that all of your features are a-okay before you begin prepping for the paint job.

3. Prepare the Home Exterior for Paint

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when painting your home’s exterior is walking right up to the siding and painting over it without any other form of preparation.

Think of it this way: if you don’t prepare the siding for a new coat of paint, you’re simply painting over all the dirt, debris, and germs that have piled upon it. Therefore, placing a new coat over it will trap the grime inside, which can cause bubbling or running paint. 

To get the results that you want, you’re going to need to get it in paint-ready condition. Be sure to rent or purchase a pressure washer to clean the outside of your home. For optimum results, you’ll want to find one that fits the siding of your house.

For example, homes with soft siding (like stucco or wood) should only use one with anywhere between 1,200 to 1,500 psi. However, a home with vinyl siding will require something a bit stronger, such as a pressure washer with anywhere between 2,500 to 3,000 psi.

After you’ve pressure washed the house, make sure to provide a covering for all the plants near the side of your house, as well as remove any statues or figures that risk getting paint on them.

4. Scrap off Lead Paint

Perhaps you were prompted to inquire about exterior painting when you noticed the paint outside your home is starting to crack and peel off. This could be a sign that your home was previously painted with lead paint. 

Regardless of what type of paint it is, that cracked paint has to be removed before you put on a fresh coat. Otherwise, it could cause the new paint to bubble or drip.

Grab as many friends, relatives, and neighbors as you can, then get them all to help you scrape off the paint from the side of your house.

5. Hire a Professional Painting Company

Is painting your home’s exterior more overwhelming than you originally thought? Perhaps you didn’t realize that repainting your home’s exterior would include things like pressure washing, scraping, and sanding.

If so, then you should hire a professional exterior painting company to do the work. That way, this project is put in the hands of experienced professionals with the manpower and equipment for the job.

The result will be a high-quality paint job that will make interested buyers salivate. It’s sure to up the curb appeal of your entire house.

Paint Your Home’s Exterior Today

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on how to paint your home’s exterior and all the steps it requires to do it right, be sure to use this information to your advantage.

Start by browsing our website for more articles on painting the inside and outside of your home, as well as many other helpful topics that you will enjoy.