How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Houston needs to be updated, a new coat of exterior paint is an easy, affordable option to improve its curb appeal. So if your home is starting to look worn down or if you’re simply ready for something different, consider repainting the exterior of your home yourself or hire a local painter to do the job for you.

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

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

Whichever direction is best for you, you will still need 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. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you’re planning to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go a lot faster once you begin. Collecting your materials beforehand ensures that once you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home is choosing the color or color combo. You will also need to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is 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 synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also efficient options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the surface of the home for its brand new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure is the most effective way to eliminate peeling paint, and it cleans the exterior of your home. Some of the areas of paint will peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, scrape it off the house 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 all the way down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered just need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it conceals any previous paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in an even color for your new paint, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t blend into it or produce a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter can look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re experts! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with very low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt doesn’t stick to paint the same way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it needs to be replaced. If paint is peeling, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order 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 easiest things you can do.

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

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Houston

After the prepping is over, you might want to turn the work over to a professional painter in Houston (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed expectations with less effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter will know the best way to complete the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will be a lot quicker.
• Companies don’t make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new exterior paint will last a lot longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint anything above 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 handle every part of the project, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the new paint.