Practical Hints to Make Your House Painting Project Easier
Knowing what you’re up against and what you going to is going to make your house painting project much easier. If this is your first time ever undertaking a painting project, it always helps if you have a detailed list of what you’re going to need. Even after you’ve done a project like this in the past, it won’t hurt to refresh your memory.
Practical Preparation Procedures
It is a well-known fact that painting professionals, if the original house painting job was done correctly, and the quality paint was used your house will look good for a long time. When your house is starting to look shabby, and showing its age, then there is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to restore the beauty to your home. Before you get out there with the ladder and the paint and brushes, let’s do a little practical preparing. A fresh coat of paint won’t fix everything sometimes you’re going to need sandpaper, come caulking and maybe even primer. You are going to want to:
- Check for areas on the outside house where the paint is split or blistered
- Take notes your corners or where boards come together at joints to make sure there’s no splitting or separation
- Knock out the old filler or caulking that is already lose
- Trim back the overgrowth from trees and bushes where is wearing against that house
- Use a power washer to remove city grime and dirt
- Replace any broken boards or trim
- Sand out rough or worn spots
- Pound in nails that are protruding or replace screws that I worked their way out
Once you have the outside of the building ready for your house painting project is time to go to the hardware store to pick out your tools and equipment.
What You will Need and Why
- an old brush 3 inch brush for dust and debris
- a quality 3 inch wide paintbrush with a flat end
- a two inch wide angled sash brush for trimming
- a wire brush
- as scraper or a stiff putty knife blade
- sandpaper, 60 to 80 grit
- do screwdrivers one fellow said, one flat
- a claw foot hammer
- a caulking gun and caulk
- paint bucket or tray
- two ladders; one short and one tall
- stir sticks
- drop cloths
- masking tape and/or paper
- a medium nap paint roller
- an extension pole for your paint roller
- lots of old rags
- lots and lots of cold water
You probably have half a dozen of these things already in your garage, so while it looks like a long list, it is not that bad. I listed everything your product might need but you won’t always need for a professional looking house painting job. “Better safe than sorry.” I say.
Practical Painting Procedures
Using a good quality water based latex paint on your exterior house painting project is what I prefer. It is much easier to clean up and dries quickly. There are people that prefer the oil-based paint but I don’t care for it because it takes forever to dry and it is windy, it ends up catching little bits of dust and debris. Last it is a massive job to clean up. You have to use either turpentine or paint thinner. With latex paint you spill it you can just hose it away, but with oil based exterior paint you are going to be in for a big job, cleaning that up.
Getting Started!
So let’s put all this information I’m giving you to gather and do a walk-through on what to do a good house painting experience.
- Starting at one back corner you’re going to want to scrape off all the old loose paint and dried up old caulking, plus any other gunk or residue that is stuck on the house. Pay close attention to the corners, they tend to gather crap. All that nasty stuff will get on your brush and into the rest your paint if you’re not careful to clean it out before you start the painting.
- Either screw in all the loose screws and pound in the old nails that might be sticking out, or replace them if necessary. If some of your boards are starting to bow out, a couple extra nails or screws will flatten those out in a hurry. Just remember to countersink the screws or nails and fill them with putty so the surface will look nice and smooth after it has been painted.
- The surface has to be clean. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to just dust or brush things off. However, if brushing it doesn’t do the job, then you are going to have to borrow or rent a power washer to clean the surface so the new paint will adhere.
- Now get out your drop clothes and put them out to protect anything the paint doesn’t need to get on like your flowers or bushes. If you have wrought iron or brick trim you might want to cover that too.
- Tape off, or mask off the windows and trim that is a different color or sheen than the main walls. It makes for cleaner edges if you’re aren’t a professional painter.
- It’s time for the primer. You don’t have to prime the whole house just the bare wood. It’s okay if you just do some spot priming.
- It’s time to paint! When you’re painting with a brush don’t put on too much paint. That’s how you get those unsightly runs and drips. Start working in one area using long strokes, starting at and edge, completing one section at a time. And I even been coat makes the best coverage.
- Moving onto the larger areas carefully cut in the edges using a brush, the one with the angle bristles, and then get your roller. Using a medium nap, once again you do not want to over saturate your tool. This is where having the extension pole comes in handy. You get a much more even appearance, and you don’t have to get on the ladder every time you want to reach something above your head.
- Depending on the color you might want to apply a second coat. You will be able to determine that once the paint has dried and you see it in the light of day.
- Clean up spills and drips as you go.
- At the end of each painting session take special care to clean up your equipment. If you invested in some good quality brushes, they should last you for quite a while, and last you let the paint dry on them. Make sure the lids are on the paint cans real-tight and that you haven’t left a pile of oily rags anywhere.
- Sit back, have a cold lemonade or beer, and admire a job well done. Then call everybody you know and tell them what you’ve done and make them come and look at. If you’ve made any glaring mistakes they will let you know.
Well done! One house painting job does not make you a professional, but it does make you a hard working individual who takes pride in their home and its appearance. You’ll probably be tired but it will be so well worth it in the long run. Just think how nice it will be for you to sit back and lounge while you watch your neighbors scurrying around trying to make their house look as good as yours.
12231 Academy Rd. NE Albuquerque, NM, 87111 USA
info@europaintinginc.com • 505-294-3876
