Exterior House Painting Preparation
by: Karl Crowder
Exterior painting starts with
systematic preparation of all surfaces to be painted. Here are some simple
guidelines and things to look for before continuing with the painting process.
Thoroughly inspect your home
completely before moving on. This will prevent, if any, further damage to your
home. Look for signs of blistering, peeling or chalking on the paint of your
home. Water damage shows as rot or discolored areas. These problems will need
to be properly fixed before moving ahead into the project. Mildew and mold are
also other problems one may encounter while fixing up the home. After each
repair, take further steps to prevent any more damage from occurring.
Often, exterior preparation requires
more effort and time because the exterior of any house receives more damage due
to sunlight, which causes paint to fade and wood to warp, and weather, which
can cause mildew and mold and other kinds of damage. First, start with pressure
washing to remove dirt and to make sure the surface is clean. Usually after
pressure washing, you can begin repairs depending on the severity of the
damage. If the damage is already apparent, make the repairs as soon as
possible. However, most of the damage is noticeable after pressure washing.
After washing and all repairs, move onto scraping and sanding.
Caution must be taken in this stage
due to environmental and physical concerns. For example: if your house was
built and finished before 1980, it is possible that your finish may contain
lead based paint. Find out what you need to do and what not to do in those
cases. It’s better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to your own
health and home.
Apply a high quality primer to all
raw areas after scraping and sanding. As you continue further on, you may need
to apply caulking to seal any areas where water can leak. Pay special attention
to windows and doors.
Now mask any areas where you do not
wish for paint to go. Masking paper and tape should be used instead of news
paper. A hand held masking machine will make this task easier. This is as
important as the rest of the preparation. If not done correctly, the entire
exterior painting job can be severely affected.
Now if you chose to hire a
professional painting contractor to do the job, make sure that proper exterior
paint preparation and repairs is included with the contract proposal. This
makes it easier on you so you do not have to go and find a repair contractor.
It also makes it easier on the contractor. If they know what kind of repairs
might take place, they can find out whether or not they need a building permit
with inspection. If all steps are followed and all repairs made, your finish
can last beautifully for many years.
