Painting a house doesn’t come cheap especially when it comes to painting the exterior of a home. If you have the money to do it, it highly recommended to hire a professional like GB Painters to do the job. However, if your budget will not allow you that necessity, you can roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Hiring a professional can cost between two thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars depending on the size of your house and the material and paints used. If you do it yourself, it might take you a solid day or two if you have good weather. Having friends lending you a hand might be a great idea to help lessen the painting load. It will not be easy but with careful planning and preparation, it can be done. It may not be up to professional standards, but can get close to the real thing by following these important steps.
Personal Inspection
If you’re not familiar with your house because you’ve just bought it or haven’t really had a chance to get a close look, give it a good inspection to see what kind of material that the exterior is made from. If you have an older house and the exterior is made from wood siding, you will likely have to paint it often due to wear and tear from the elements.
Gather Materials For Prepping
Get your drop cloths, sanding paper, scrapers, hammer, vacuum, gloves, and personal protective gear like breathing masks and construction glasses ready for cleaning and repairing broken areas of the exterior.
Strip Off The Old Paint
If there is paint peeling, it’s important to get those scraped out and sanded flush with the exterior. If your house is really old and you suspect it might have been painted with lead paint in the past (like the nineteen seventies and the years before that), get the paint tested for lead with a kit bought from a hardware store. If the old paint was leaded, then you have to take special precautions to protect yourself and the environment when removing it. Use the drop cloth to collect any paint peeled and scraped off. Always wear a mask when sanding and scraping so you don’t inhale the paint dust (even if it’s not leaded). This is a good time to repair any damages you see in the exterior. Sweep or vacuum up any fine dust on the drop cloth and on the wall. Dispose of the paint scraped off at an approved hazardous materials waste collection depot.
Wash and Dry
Pressure wash the walls to remove any dust, dirt, and debris collected over time. If you can find an eco-friendly cleanser or mould and mildew killer, you can use that to wash and protect your walls before painting. Make sure the walls are completely dry before beginning to paint it.
Prime It
Select the primer that’s suitable for the exterior material. For a wood exterior, it’s best to stick to latex paint. If the oil has already been used as a primer on the exterior before, then it’s best to use an oil-based primer again. Primers are usually white or different shades of white or gray.
Seal It
Once the primer is dry, you can seal any joints of the exterior for extra protection against the elements. You can use silicone caulking to accomplish this. Make sure you use good quality caulking and caulking designed for the exterior of the home that will stand up to moisture, rain, heat, and cold weather.
Paint It
Once the caulking is dry, you can begin to paint the first coat. If you have used water-based latex for the primer, then you can use water-based paint for the first and final coats. If you have an oil-based paint primer, then stick to the oil-based paint for the first and final coats. Choose exterior paints that are durable and will protect the exterior of your house from the harmful rays of the sun. Once the first coat is dry, you can apply the final coat.
Care For It
To keep your exterior paint job looking as good as when you painted it, gently wash it free of dust every few months. Wash off any animal droppings like bird or bat droppings from the walls as their droppings can affect the colour of the paint and damage it if left on too long. It’s good to keep some of the paint you used for the exterior for needed touch-ups later.
It’s not easy doing an exterior paint job by yourself, but it can save you thousands in the long run. By applying the steps above, you can get it done the right way and have the paint job last a long time.
Contact GB Commercial painters today for more information or a quote.
