How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Mesa needs to be updated, a new coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive way to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is starting to look worn down or if you’re just ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your house yourself or pay a professional painter to do it for you.

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

You can partner with a painter by doing all the prep work by yourself, but then letting their team come over and do the actual painting with their best tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever option is best for you, you will still need to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, gather the ladders and other safety equipment. If you are planning to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting project go a lot faster as soon as you get started. Collecting your materials beforehand ensures that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home’s exterior is deciding the color or color combination. You will also need to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s 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 also efficient options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of your house for its brand new paint! Put time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the most effective way to eliminate old paint, and it cleans the outside of your house. Some areas of paint should peel right off as soon as you spray over them. That’s a 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 the house with a metal or plastic straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand 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 tended to 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 an important part of preparation because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in an even color for your new coat, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t blend into it or result in a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the weather forecast and determine the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting yourself, 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 does a brand new paint job make your home look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your house.

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t stick to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If your 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 also 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 too much, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different color can update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Mesa

After prepping is over, you might want to hand the job off to a professional painter in Mesa (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with little effort from you.

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

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

Depending on your DIY abilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are prepared to handle each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the new paint.