How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Milpitas needs to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is an easy, affordable way to improve its appearance. So if your home is looking worn down or if you are simply ready for something different, consider painting the exterior of your home yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a home is a huge project, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You just need to do your research to know how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as which brushes and paints to use.

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

Whichever direction is right for you, you will still want to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are preparing to complete the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will help to make the actual painting go much faster once you get started. Collecting your equipment ahead of time guarantees that when you start painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole 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 want to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll want to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to start prepping the surface of the home for its brand new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to loosen any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure is the most effective way to remove peeling paint, and it simultaneously cleans the exterior of your home. Some sections of paint will peel off as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a metal or plastic 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 areas where the paint is still adhered just need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any previous paint (especially with dark colors), results in an even color for your new coat, and a smoother surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first layer of paint won’t blend into it or create a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and find the most opportune day for painting a home. 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 very low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only can a new paint job make your home look years newer, it also provides a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your home.

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

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

Worn paint takes a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’re worried about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the simplest things you can do.

Painting is also a good idea if your home doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood (but you want it to). If your home’s color makes it stand out too much, or if the opposite is true and you want it to stand out, a different color can completely change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Milpitas

After the prepping is complete, you can hand the work over to a professional painter in Milpitas (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also guarantees 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 knows the optimal way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will be done a lot faster.
• Pros don’t make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will likely last a lot longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint anything higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY capabilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are prepared to handle each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the paint.