The Best Way To Paint a House
Painting the exterior of your house is not an easy task. The painting itself is the least of your worries as the preparation is the crux of the matter. Properly preparing the surface to be painted will make the work successful. Sometimes paint does not properly adhere to the surface not because of inferior paint but because of the surface is dirty or loose or wet. Before you paint make sure that you have the proper tools for the job. The tools are: paint scraper, sandpaper or sanding block, putty knife, stiff or steel brush, and a power washer if you have one.
Prepare the Site and Its Surrounding
You need to protect the surrounding area of the house before you start the paint job. Cover the plants with canvas. Cover the outdoor furniture and other areas outdoor furniture or gadgets like the barbecue grill. If you have a deck, note that you need to protect the decking too. Keep cars, bikes and other like contraptions out of the way. If there are bushes or short trees around the house, you may want to tie a cord around them and pull them away from the house.
Next, take out any light fixture or any other décor attached to the exterior walls and ceilings. Look over the exterior walls carefully to see if there are repairs to be done. Repair all visible damages that you can see. After that, clean the whole area to be painted. Wash off all the grime and dirt that has accumulated over the years. There are even cases where after pressure or power washing the walls of a house, there is no need for repainting as the paint is still good.
Scraping, Sanding and Patching
Remove all loose paint as even the most properly done power washing cannot remove all the loose paint. You may use sandpaper or a paint scraper to remove any cracked or chipped paint down to the base. Patch all nail holes and other cracks with putty. Be sure to caulk all seems and corners and at joints where two different materials. Use quality exterior caulk for ease.
For repairing serious woodwork problems, use epoxy filler the type used for cars. It is best to use primer to cover dark stains. If there are areas with mildews, there are primers with additives made specifically for mildew control.
Remember to sand glossy and rough surfaces as paint needs a somewhat roughened area to adhere. You may choose to apply a paint deglosser on glossy surfaces. Make use you remove dust and debris made during the sanding procedure. If some parts of the old paint are slightly thicker than the rest, you can use a heat gun paint remover to loosen stubborn paint.
Remember that each type of material has its own special primer requirement. What will work for wood will not work for stucco. There are exterior walls that would need two coats of primer especially if there was visible damage to the wall exterior. Make sure you let each coat dry between applications. It is best to follow the paint brand's instructions when application. It is best to use brush on woodworks and other smaller surfaces to paint. For larger surfaces aside from woodwork, paint roller will do. Don't attempt to use a spray machine unless you are a qualified. Using a spray machine might seem to make a painting job a breeze but it is easier said than done. If you are no experienced, you might actually spend more because of a botched painting job.
Painting the Exterior Wall
There are two general types of paint according to the solvent used: quick drying enamel or QDE paints are thinner based while latex paints are water-based paint. There are paints under both categories that are specifically for either exterior or interior wall finishing. Latex is versatile for you can use this type for almost all kinds of surfaces. Oil-based paint or alkyds are recommended for areas with high traffic. This type of paint is also preferable to use in woodwork and metals. There are various sheens when talking about paint mixtures. There is the flat paint which best used as a primer for it hides surface imperfections well. Then there' the eggshell finish which has a little more sheen than flat. The satin finish and semi-gloss finish paint are suitable for areas with medium traffic and are more resistant to dirt and grime than eggshell. The gloss finish has the most reflective sheen and is highly resistant to dirt and grime.
It is recommended that you use either latex or alkyds to your exterior wall. For best results, choose a semi-gloss paint for the wall surface and choose gloss finish for trimmings and other wall details. Paint the main front door and other external doors with gloss paint too.
The Right House Paint Colour Combination
Picking the right colour combination of paint for your house is daunting. The only consolation is that when you make a mistake you can prime the wall up again and start at the beginning. The only problem with this solution is that you'll end up spending more. To avoid waste if time and money, choose the colours that you intend to use. Get swatches of samples then work out the colour combination.
You should learn though that there are limitations when picking the right paint for your house. If your house is under the protection of historical buildings, wouldn't it be quite inappropriate if you paint your historical home in fuchsia and neon green?
You might choose to start a trend and paint your old Victoria house blushing pink with its architectural details in ecru, maroon and beige. The combination might work if your house is located somewhere in Los Angeles, USA. However if your house is in a more remote and conservative area, reconsider your options.
The best that you can do is to go to a home depot, take out a few sample paint colour swatches and study which colours would best suit the external walls of your house. Take into consideration the colours used by your neighbours too. Don't copy. Be original.