Exterior Painting

Repainting the exterior of your home can be a huge time-consuming task. However, for the cash-strapped with only a minimum investment in tools and paint, you’ll save money and enhance the value of your home. But bear in mind, a good paint job requires hours of careful preparation. An amateur might need to dedicate an entire season to prepare and repaint even a medium-size house.

A quality exterior painting job needs more than patience and perseverance. You’ll need a sharp eye, a steady hand and a bit of practice to repaint crisp, straight lines.

Get Quality Tools

We recommend buying at least two top-quality synthetic-bristle brushes: one 4-in. straight-bristled brush for big areas and a 1-1/2-in. tilted sash brush for detail work.

For applying paint to large areas of shingles, stucco or brick, buy a roller setup consisting of a sturdy roller cage (the handle part); 1/2-in. nap roller covers, one for each color (you’ll clean and reuse them); and a roller screen. Conventional 9-in. rollers benefit big, flat locations. Buy the 7-in. size for rolling siding and other narrow locations if your home has them. You’ll likewise need a couple of clean 1-gallon paint cans and a clean 5-gallon bucket.

Where to Get Help With Colors

Selecting paint colors that complement your home is the primary step to a terrific paint job. You can find pamphlets at the paint shop with archives of colors. Many paint stores have people on staff who can help you choose colors.

Next, with the paint color selected take rough measurements of your home, keeping in mind the type of surface area, as an example, stucco, cedar shingles or smooth siding. Count the doors and windows. With these details, paint store employees can assist you to figure the amount of paint you’ll need. Plan on using two coats over the primer.

Buy the very best paint you can pay for. Good quality paint is easier to use, covers better and lasts longer. We advise getting paint with a little sheen, either satin or eggshell. It’s more fade resistant and simpler to clean than flat paint.

Use These Two Strategies to Repaint Like a Pro

The goal of the initial step, is to get the paint on the surface in the quickest most efficient method possible. Use a brush, roller or sprayer for this step and apply sufficient paint to cover the surface without runs.

Cover an area large enough to allow you to return and smooth it before the paint starts to dry. Given that heat, humidity and the kind of paint you’re using will impact drying time, you’ll have to experiment as you get a feel for how large an area you can cover before going back to smooth it out. The most common error amateurs make is spending too much time laying on the paint. A couple of fast strokes is all that’s needed. Then reload the brush and cover the next area.

When you have a small area covered, you’re ready for step 2. First use your brush to spread out the paint evenly over the surface then end up with long, continuous brush strokes. The goal is to cover the previous layer of paint or guide with a smooth, even layer of paint. This step needs to be done right away after the paint is laid on before the paint starts to dry.

You might be wondering the best way to know if you’re using enough paint. Unfortunately, there’s no secret formula. In general, you’ll have better success using two thin coats than struggling to cover the primer with one thick coat of paint. Thin coats dry better and do not cause issues like runs, droops and paint accumulation that is consistent with heavy layers of paint. Your objective is to get enough paint on the surface to permit the brush to glide smoothly, but not leave so much that it runs or sags.

If all of this sounds like too much work, you can always call and ask us to do it for you. We are a professional Vancouver exterior painting company and will be happy to provide you with an estimate.

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