How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Mission Viejo needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a fast, inexpensive option to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is looking shabby or if you are just ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your house yourself or enlist a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a home is a huge project, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You just need to do your research to understand how to prepare the exterior surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints to use.

You can even partner with a painter by completing all the prep work yourself, but then having their crew come to your home and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is best for you, you’ll still need to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts of the home to paint, collect the ladders and other safety equipment. If you’re preparing to complete the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a plan will help to make the actual painting project go a lot faster once you get started. Gathering your equipment ahead of time ensures that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose good paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and much easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the exterior of your house for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure is the best way to eliminate old paint, and it simultaneously cleans the outside of your house. Some of the areas of paint may peel right off as you spray over them. That’s a sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface all the way down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered just need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip the primer! Primer is a very important part of preparation because it conceals any prior paint (especially with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smoother exterior with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or leave behind a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. 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 experts! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with low humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only will a new paint job make your home look several years newer, it also creates a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your house.

Paint helps prevent insects from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt doesn’t adhere to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you need to have it repainted to protect the wood beneath.

Aging paint takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re worried about curb appeal, painting your house is one of the easiest things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your house doesn’t seem to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out too much, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Mission Viejo

After prepping is finished, you have the option to turn the work over to a professional painter in Mission Viejo (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with less effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter will know the best way to complete the job, which means the paint will look a lot better and the project will be done a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be much neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new exterior paint will probably last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment needed to paint anything higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY skills and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are prepared to take care of each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to actually applying the paint.