How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Killeen has to be updated, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a fast, affordable way to improve its curb appeal. So if your home exterior is starting to look shabby or if you are simply ready for a change, consider repainting the outside of your house yourself or enlist a professional painter to do the job for you.

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

You can even meet in the middle with a professional painter by doing 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 choice 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 of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are planning to complete the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting project go a lot faster once you get started. Collecting your tools beforehand guarantees that when you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and search for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home is choosing the color or color combination. You will also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. 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 for the trim. You’ll need 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 your house for its brand new paint! Invest time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the most effective way to remove old paint, and it simultaneously cleans the outside of your house. Some of the sections of paint may 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, get more of it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface all the way 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 paint goes on the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip the primer! Primer is an important step because it conceals any previous paint (especially important with dark colors), results in an even color for your new paint, and a smoother exterior with less imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t mix with it or create a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter can look at the forecast and find the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re experts! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees, with very low humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only can a new paint job make your home look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection to the overall exterior of your house.

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

Peeling paint is an obvious sign that it needs to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you really need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Worn paint really takes a toll on your home’s appearance. 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 to “fit in” in the neighborhood (but you want it to). If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out, 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 Killeen

After prepping is done, you have the option to hand the job over to a professional painter in Killeen (if you hadn’t already decided that from the start!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with minimal effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter knows the most efficient way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will go a lot faster.
• Companies don’t make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Due to their skill and experience, your new exterior paint will likely last longer than if you did the job yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint areas higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to take care of each part of the project, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to applying the paint.