How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Aurora needs to be updated, a fresh coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive option to improve its curb appeal. So if your home exterior is looking worn down or if you’re simply ready for a change, consider painting the exterior of your house yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a home is a huge job, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You have to do your research to know how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as which brushes and paints you need to use.

You can also meet in the middle with a professional painter by completing all the prep work on your own, but then having their crew come over and do the painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever option is right 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 consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, gather the ladders and other necessary safety equipment. If you’re preparing to complete the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a plan will make the painting go much faster as soon as you get started. Collecting your tools ahead of time guarantees that when you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and search for all of the supplies, meaning that you’ll have to maintain a wet brush edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose good paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home’s exterior is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also want to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is a lot 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 also efficient options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the exterior of the house for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure is the most effective way to eliminate old paint, and it also cleans the exterior of your house. Some of the sections of paint will peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Don’t skip the primer! Primer is a very important part of preparation because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smoother exterior with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first 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 result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only will a brand new paint job make your home look years newer, it also creates a layer of protection to the overall exterior of your house.

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

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

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

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Aurora

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

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 much better and the project will be a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will likely last a lot longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint anything higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY capabilities and interests, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are fully prepared to take care of each part of the job, from eliminating old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.