Looking to refresh your home's exterior? A paint job is a great way to enhance your home and increase its curb appeal. However, before you dip that brush into the paint, proper preparation is key to ensuring a smooth and long-lasting finish. In this blog post, we'll guide you through essential steps to prep your home for exterior painting, allowing you to achieve professional-looking results.
How to Prep for Exterior Painting
1. Inspect and Repair
Before you get started, it is important to look over as much of your home’s exterior as possible. Inspect every nook and cranny for any signs of damage or wear. Look for cracks, peeling paint, rotten wood, or any damaged surfaces.
Making repairs on damaged surfaces is crucial to prevent further damage and ensures that your exterior paint adheres properly. To repair these surfaces, start by replacing any rotted-out sections, and fill in gaps with appropriate caulking or putty. Also, make sure to take note of any potential problem spots in the future. This will ensure that you have a plan in place for when other areas of your exterior eventually wear.
2. Remove Dangerous Contaminants
Many homes built before 1978 still have lead particles in the paint. If you are concerned that your home has lead paint on the exterior, then don't start scraping off the paint. Agitating lead paint can lead to it being breathed in, which can cause serious long-term effects depending on the level of exposure.
Hire a lead abatement contractor who understands how to remove the paint. They will be able to test and properly treat lead.
If the exterior of your home has any mold or mildew, you must remove it. Keep an eye out for black, green, or brown fuzzy stains on the surface of your home. If you find any, you likely have some form of mold.
Not only can mold cause respiratory problems, but it can also leave unsightly stains that are hard to cover up. The best way to deal with mold and mildew is to use bleach, microbicides, or fungicide to remove it. Additionally, several cleaners and degreasers will remove not only mold and mildew but also other hard-to-remove grime.
3. Treat Your Home to a Wash
Washing your home is a great way to clean all of the surfaces of your exterior. There are a variety of different types of washing methods based on your needs; they include:
- Power Washing: Power washing combines high heat and high pressure, which removes dirt, mud, mildew, mold, and other contaminants.
- Pressure Washing: This method uses high-pressure water but is done without high temperature.
- Soft Washing: Soft washing is easiest on your exterior but may take a longer time and not be as effective. It is more suited for siding, fabric, walkways, and other areas where you may be concerned about damaging the surface.
Due to the dangers of using heavy equipment to wash the exterior of your home, it is highly suggested that you should hire a professional pressure washing contractor to take care of your business. Pressure washers sent over 6000 people to an emergency room in the U.S. just last year.
Not only will working with a pressure washing company keep you out of the hospital, but they will know exactly how you should go about washing your home to prep for paint. To learn more about pressure washing companies, check out our blog, “What to Ask a Pressure Washing Company.”
4. Prepare Surfaces
Once you have everything cleaned and repaired, it is time to start working on removing any peeling paint and other rough spots. Using a wire brush or a paint stripper, work with the grain so that things look even.
To get the best paint adhesion, be sure to sand all surfaces so that they have a smooth and even texture. For normal exterior paint, a single pass using medium grit sandpaper should do. However, if you plan to have a glossier finish, be sure to make a second pass using finer grit sandpaper. Once you have finished sanding, grab a damp cloth and wipe away any dust or debris that could cause issues in the paint job.
5. Prime the Walls
Priming the surfaces before painting is highly recommended, especially for bare wood or previously unpainted areas. Primer helps seal the surface, improves paint adhesion, and ensures consistent color and coverage.
Select a high-quality primer suitable for your specific surface and apply it evenly using a brush or roller. Allow the primer to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
6. It’s Time To Paint
Once you have thoroughly prepared your exterior to paint, it is time to choose a high-quality exterior paint and get to work applying it. Depending on the size and texture of the surface, use a brush, roller, or sprayer and start working on your paint.
Start from the top and work your way down, applying thin, even coats of paint. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next one. If in doubt, follow the manufacturer's instructions for recommended drying times between coats.
Make Preparation a Breeze
Preparation is the key to achieving a stunning and long-lasting exterior paint job. By inspecting and repairing, cleaning surfaces, protecting surrounding areas, preparing the surface, priming, choosing the right paint, and applying it with care, you'll transform your home's exterior and elevate its curb appeal. Follow these essential steps, and enjoy the satisfaction of a beautifully painted home that stands the test of time.
Mobile Magic - Prepare Your Exterior
While most of the steps above may be completed on your own, working with a professional pressure washing contractor is key to you and the safety of your home. At Mobile Magic, we always use the proper methods to fit your needs and can make adjustments based on your specification.
Located in the Asheville area, we provide services all over western North Carolina. Visit our website to request a quote, or give us a call at (828) 279-5265.
