How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Centennial needs to be updated, a new coat of paint is a quick, inexpensive way to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is starting to look shabby or if you are just ready for a change, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or pay a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a house is a big job, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You have to do your research to know how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints you need to use.

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

Whichever option is right for you, you’ll still want to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts of the home to paint, collect the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you’re planning to complete the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a plan will help to make the actual painting go a lot faster once you get started. Gathering your materials beforehand guarantees that once you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll have to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combination. You will also want to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and much easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll want to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are efficient options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the exterior of the home for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into power 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 remove old paint, and it cleans the outside of your home. Some of the areas of paint will peel 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, scrape it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand every surface 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 coat of paint goes on the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Don’t skip the primer! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in an even color for your new paint, and a smooth exterior with less imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t mix with it or produce a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re professionals! If you plan to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with very little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only will a brand new paint job make your house look several years newer, it also provides a layer of protection to the overall structure of your home.

Paint helps prevent insects from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt cannot stick to paint the same way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you really need to have it repainted to protect the wood beneath.

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

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

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Centennial

After prepping is complete, you might want to turn the job over to a professional painter in Centennial (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with less effort from you.

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

• A professional painter knows the optimal way to complete the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will be done a lot quicker.
• Companies don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Due to their skill and knowledge, your new paint will likely last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint anything above ground level.

Depending on your DIY capabilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to take care of every part of the job, from eliminating old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.