How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in San Antonio has to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is a quick, affordable way to improve its curb appeal. So if your home exterior is starting to look worn down or if you are just ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your house yourself or hire a professional painter to do the job for you.

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

You can also meet in the middle with a painter by doing all of the prep work by yourself, but then having their team come over and do the actual painting with their best tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever option is right for you, you’ll still need to know 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 of the home to paint, collect the ladders and other safety equipment. If you’re planning to do the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the actual painting go much faster once you get started. Organizing your tools ahead of time guarantees that when you start painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The best part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces require 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’s time to start prepping the surface of your house for its brand new paint! Put time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the most effective way to eliminate old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your house. Some areas of paint should peel off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original 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. Then sand bumpy 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 smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any previous paint (especially important with dark colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smooth surface with less imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t blend into it or create a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with low humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

Paint helps prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from inclement weather. High quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t stick to paint the way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling, you really need to have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Aging 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 to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s color makes it stand out, or if the opposite is true and you really want it to stand out, a different color can totally change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in San Antonio

After prepping is over, you have the option to turn the work over to a professional painter in San Antonio (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with less effort from you.

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

• A professional painter will know the most efficient way to do the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will move a lot faster.
• Companies don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, with no excess paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new paint will probably last longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint surfaces higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY capabilities and desires, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are fully prepared to handle every part of the job, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the paint.