How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Alhambra needs to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive option to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is looking shabby or if you are just ready for something different, consider repainting the exterior of your house yourself or enlist a local painter to do it for you.

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

You can compromise with a professional painter by completing all of the prep work on your own, but then having their crew come in and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is best for you, you’ll still need 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. Choose which parts to paint, collect the ladders and all 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 painting project go much faster once you begin. Gathering your tools beforehand ensures that once you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home’s exterior is choosing the color or color combination. You will also need to choose 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 easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also efficient options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the surface of your house for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the best way to eliminate peeling paint, and it also cleans the exterior of your house. Some of the sections of paint will peel off 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, scrape it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on the home smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any previous paint (especially with dark colors), results in an even color for your new paint, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or create a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

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

Peeling paint is an obvious sign that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you really need to have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.

Worn paint really takes a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’re concerned 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, or if it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different color can update its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Alhambra

After the prepping is complete, you might want to hand the job off to a professional painter in Alhambra (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with less effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter will know the best way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will last longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint areas higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY capabilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to take care of every part of the project, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the new paint.