How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Raleigh has to be updated, a new coat of paint is a quick, inexpensive way to improve its appearance. So if your home is looking worn down or if you are simply ready for a change, consider painting the exterior of your house yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you.

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

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

Whichever option is best for you, you’ll still want 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 other necessary safety equipment. If you’re preparing to do the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting project go much faster as soon as you get started. Organizing your materials beforehand guarantees that once you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home’s exterior is deciding the color or color combination. You’ll also want to pick 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. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll want synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the exterior of the house for its brand new paint! Put time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the most effective way to remove old paint, and it cleans the exterior of your house. Some of the sections of paint may peel off as soon as you spray over them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was aging and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a metal or plastic straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered just need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip the primer! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smoother exterior with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or leave behind a rough patch on the surface.
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 applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does 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 house.

Paint helps prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from inclement weather. High quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t adhere to paint the same way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If 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 exterior. If you’re worried 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 (but you want it to). If your home’s color makes it stand out, or if the opposite is true and you want it to stand out, a different color can completely update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Raleigh

After prepping is finished, you have the option to hand the job over to a professional painter in Raleigh (if you hadn’t already decided 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 will know the best way to do the job, which means the paint will look much better and the project will be done a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be neater, with no excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and knowledge, your new paint will probably last a lot longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint surfaces above ground level.

Based on your DIY capabilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are fully prepared to handle each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the paint.