Painting the exterior of your home is the easiest way to refresh and even to improve the look of it.
It seems incredible, but a simple fresh coat of paint can contribute greatly to change the appearance of your house and increase its value.
By Jennifer Ott Design San Francisco – See more Home Design Photos
However, exterior painting is in many ways different from interior painting and in fact this is the role of this article to suggest you several tips that could help you if you’re determined to paint your property.
PREPARATION
In any job, preparation is one of the most important stages and external painting makes no exception to the rule.
1| Start protecting all the elements around your home perimeter before painting.
– Tie back the branches of the trees and shrubs, which are against façade of your home.
– Cover all the other plants and the air conditioning units with plastic sheets.
– Close the windows and take off the shutters.
2| Fill all the cracks and holes with putty, allow time to dry and sand them down.
3| Scrap peeling and loose paint.
4| Scrub and rinse thoroughly the trim and the siding.
SURFACES TYPES
There are various kinds of external surfaces and each has to be treated in a different way.
1| Masonry (stucco or brick) – first you should apply a primer coat, especially when your top coat is supposed to be glossy or there are visible stains on your house façade.
2| Wood Siding – first you should apply an oil-based primer coat.
3| Bare Siding – similar as in section 2 – an oil-based primer coat.
However, as a general rule – DO NOT PAINT ON WET SURFACES – It is wise to check the weather forecast prior starting your job to be sure your paint will have enough time to dry before starting to rain.
PAINTING THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME
1| First you will have to take care of the gutters and trims, especially if they will be in a different color or hue than your home walls. It is better to start painting them first.
2| Then, paint the corners of the walls and along the trim.
3| Paint the main surface of your walls. Always start at the top and brush only towards you, from left to right. While the paint is still wet, come back brushing from right to left. When you start a new wall section brush always the two strokes together allowing the paints to blend together.
4| Touch up any missed spot but only after the paint is dried.
Brick House – Exterior Painting Tips and Ideas (howtobuildahouseblog.com)