If peeling paint or an outdated color is bringing down the look of the exterior of your home, a fresh coat of paint can add immediate curb appeal. However, house painting is hard work and, if you want to get a long-lasting finish that elevates your home’s appearance, you need to be prepared to do the job right. To help you prepare your home for exterior painting in Raleigh, we’re sharing our professional prep tips.
Determine the Scope of Your Exterior Painting Job
If you just want to freshen up your shutters and some wooden trim on your house, your painting preparation will be different than if you’re going to tackle exterior brick painting on a two-story house. First, really look at your home and consider when the last time it was painted, how it looks, and if you have the time and budget necessary to appropriately tackle the scope of your project.
Know What Exterior Painting Supplies You’ll Need
Before you dive in, make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need for the scope of your project, including:
- Plastic dropcloth or tarp
- Ladder that is tall enough to safely reach every part of the house
- Paint scraper
- Sandpaper or power sander
- Caulk and caulking gun
- Nylon-polyester bristle brushes (at least one 4-inch brush and one 1.5-inch brush for trim)
- Rollers, with a nap of half-inch to three-quarters of an inch. (Note: Brushes get paint into crevices better and help seal gaps. Most exterior painting contractors use brushes over roller for a better outcome and longer lasting paint)
Protect Your Landscaping
You don’t want to flood your plants or cover your yard in paint chips or wet paint. Protect your landscaping along with any exterior furniture with plastic sheets and remove outdoor decoration. While you’re doing this, you’ll also want to remove window screens and downspouts so they don’t get damaged during the next step.
Power Wash Before House Painting
No matter if you’re painting brick, wood, or fiber cement, you want to make sure the surface is free of mildew, mold, or dirt to ensure your exterior painting adheres and lasts for as long as possible. Power washing is much more effective and time-efficient than trying to do the job by hand and allows you to more easily reach difficult areas. Give your home 24 to 48 hours to dry before moving on to the next step.
Prepare Surfaces for Exterior Painting
Carefully walk your home and inspect every aspect before you even think about house painting. If you’re painting over existing paint, follow these steps once the house is dry from pressure washing:
- Scrape away any flaking, peeling, or bubbled paint
- Sand any edges where you scraped to ensure a flush surface
- Prime any bare wood spots
- Repair damaged wood or rotting areas
- Caulk any cracks in clapboard, around windows, and around eaves. Just make sure not to caulk closed any openings needed for ventilation.
If you’re not sure what to caulk or how to repair damaged wood, call an exterior painting contractor in Raleigh to help!
Preparing for Exterior Brick Painting
For painting a brick exterior, you’ll still want to follow the steps above – protecting your landscaping, power washing (remember, brick is porous and takes longer to dry!), and if your brick is painted, you’ll want to scrape peeling sections. Then, follow these steps:
- Prime brick and mortar with a specific masonry primer using a roller with a three-quarter inch nap and a brush for mortar lines.
- Caulk any openings and repair cracks and chips in masonry with acrylic caulk
- Paint the brick with elastomeric or an acrylic-latex paint that is made for porous surfaces.
Contact Our Raleigh Exterior Painting Contractors
Once the previous steps have been followed, you’re ready to begin exterior painting. However, you could save days of backbreaking work and reach out to Osborne Painting instead! With over twenty years of serving the Raleigh area, we can get the job done quickly, efficiently, and make sure it looks stunning for years to come. To learn more about our house painting services or request a free estimate, call us today at 919-878-6611 or fill out our contact form to get started!