One of the most important aspects of your home's maintenance and upkeep is the exterior paint. Depending on where you live, your home could require painting as often as every three years or as infrequently as ten years or more between paintings. But whatever the interval, you need to do the job right.
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House Painting: Preparation Advice
If all you had to do was slap on a coat of paint, it would be easy. But if you want that paint to stick to the house for a few years, you must first prepare the surfaces for painting. This includes:
- Repairing any damaged areas of siding or trim,
- Removing old chipped or cracked paint, and
- Filling all holes and cracks.
When this is done, you should power-wash the entire house exterior to remove dirt and debris. Put a coat of primer on any raw wood surfaces and caulk around doors, windows, and any other exterior openings.
Paint Carefully and Thoroughly
Now you are ready to paint. But first, a few more pieces of advice:
- Mask off any areas you don't want painted, like your windows.
- Put drop cloths over nearby shrubs, trees, sidewalks, driveways, etc. to keep paint off of them.
- Choose a high quality exterior paint and apply it to large surfaces with an airless sprayer or roller.
- Use brushes to apply paint to trim.
- When the first coat dries, apply a second coat for a long-lasting paint job.
- Finally, clean up all tools, applicators, drop cloths, and whatever else you may have used.
As you can see, painting a house is not a trivial task. If you don't have the time or the inclination, pick a reliable painting contractor to do the job for you.
About the Author
Roger Diez is a freelance writer and a veteran of countless home repair and improvement projects.
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