How to Paint Your Exterior with the Perfect Painting and Remodeling Method

We here at Perfect Painting & Remodeling know how important it is to maintain the exterior of your house and keep it in top condition. Exterior paint and caulking protect your walls against ice, snow and rain. It’s also best to keep the exterior free of peels, cracks and blisters. Whenever you spot any of these, you should immediately consider repainting the exterior of your house, because if left unchecked, they will lead to much more expensive and extensive procedures. Here are some tips from Perfect Painting & Remodeling for a quick DIY exterior paint job:

Choose Your Paints Wisely

When it comes to the paint you purchase, the choice is pretty much up to you. You have two options: oil-based alkyd and water-based latex. The latex is great because it can be cleaned with soap and water, doesn’t smell as strongly, it dries fast and it’s not as likely to crack. If you’re going for latex and you want the best, look out for paints that contain 100% acrylic resins. Alkyd paints, however, require paint thinner to be cleaned; but alkyd paint it is very durable, it flows very smoothly, it’s stain resistant, and the end result has fewer brush marks. It’s also very pungent and it takes a while to dry up. One thing you should keep in mind is that if your current layer of paint is alkyd paint and you want to apply a latex paint over it, you have to use primer on the surface first, or else the latex paint won’t stick.

When it comes to prices, the more expensive the paint, the higher quality it is. You should write down your budget for the entire project and go from there. Bargain paints are nothing to sneeze at either, but the more expensive paints produce a longer-lasting, thicker and more protective coat, due to a higher pigment concentration. However, regardless of the paint you choose, make sure to read the label because it will contain a ton of useful information that will help you get the best coating.

Prepare the Surface

This part takes a little while, but you have to rid the exterior walls of as much grime, dirt and residue as you can, or else the paint won’t stick well and it will start to chip off. We recommend using either a power sprayer, or your hands and a brush to scrub off anything that might compromise the paint job. We here at Perfect Painting & Remodeling make sure that the surfaces of your house are as clean as possible before adding any paint.

Roller or Brush?

The answer is both. Both the roller and the brush can help you tremendously. You will want to use the roller for the large open spaces, and the brush for narrow surfaces such as edges and corners. One thing we’ve learned over the years at Perfect Painting & Remodeling is that it’s best to start painting on the shady surface. This means avoid painting on the side that’s been exposed to the sun the whole day, because it will be too hot and the paint will dry too fast, which means blisters and flakes in the long run.

Start from the Top

At Perfect Painting & Remodeling, we start painting the house walls from the top. This way, there will be no dripping. Make sure you keep ladder safety in mind though. Do not overreach to the side. Keep your hips between the horizontal rails, and when you need to paint to your sides, move the ladder instead of risking a fall.

Contact a Professional

If painting your exterior seems like too much of a hassle, don’t worry – we’re here to help you. Perfect Painting & Remodeling offers top quality services at great prices. Check out our listing on our website.