How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Plano has to be updated, a new coat of exterior paint is a fast, affordable option to improve its appearance. So if your house is starting to look worn down or if you’re simply ready for something different, consider repainting the exterior of your home yourself or enlist a local painter to do it for you.

Painting a home is a big project, but it isn’t an impossible job for most homeowners. You have to do your research to know how to prepare the exterior surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints you need to use.

You can partner with a professional painter by doing all of the prep work yourself, but then having their crew come in and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is right for you, you’ll still need to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and other safety equipment. If you are preparing to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting go a lot faster once you get started. Gathering your equipment beforehand guarantees that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The best part of painting your home’s exterior is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and easier to clean. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are efficient options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of the home for its brand new paint! Put time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the best way to remove old paint, and it simultaneously cleans the exterior of your home. Some areas of paint should peel right off as soon as you spray over them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on the home smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is a very important part of preparation because it conceals any previous paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smoother surface with less imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the first layer of paint doesn’t blend into it or create a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees, and with little humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only will a new paint job make your home look years newer, it also creates a layer of protection for the overall structure of your home.

Paint helps prevent insects 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 same way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you need to have it repainted to protect the wood beneath.

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

Painting is a good idea if your home doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out too much, or if the opposite is true and you want it to stand out, a different paint color can totally change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Plano

After prepping is done, you can hand the project off to a professional painter in Plano (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with minimal effort from you.

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

• A professional painter will know the most efficient way to complete the job, which means the paint will look a lot better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t make a mess. Their results will be neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and knowledge, your new exterior paint will likely last longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment necessary to paint areas higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are fully prepared to take care of every part of the project, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to applying the new paint.