How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Roanoke needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of paint is a quick, inexpensive option to improve its appearance. So if your home is starting to look 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 the job for you.

Painting a home is a huge job, but it isn’t an unreasonable 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 what brushes and paints you need to use.

You can even meet in the middle with a professional painter by completing all the prep work by yourself, but then having their team come over and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

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

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, collect the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you’re planning to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will help to make the painting project go a lot faster once you begin. Gathering your equipment ahead of time guarantees that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your home is choosing the color or color combo. You will also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of your house for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the most effective way to eliminate peeling paint, and it also cleans the exterior of your house. Some of the sections of paint may peel right off as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand every surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip the primer! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t blend into it or result in a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re professionals! If you plan to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees, with little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only can a new paint job make your home look several years newer, it also provides a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your house.

Paint can help prevent insects from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt cannot adhere to paint the way it does to wood.

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

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

Painting is 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 want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Roanoke

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

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

• A professional painter knows the most efficient way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look a lot better and the project will move a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new paint will last a lot longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint areas above ground level.

Depending on your DIY skills and interests, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are prepared to take care of every part of the job, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to actually applying the new paint.