Prepare Your Home for Your Exterior Painting Project

Have you decided that it’s time to give your home a facelift with a beautiful exterior paint job? While DIY paint projects can be extremely rewarding, they can also be time-consuming and really hard work. If you’re thinking about doing this work on your own, then you’ll definitely want to consider using some great tips that can help save you from overwork. Projects such as these are definitely situations where you want to work smart rather than just hard. Here are some time- and energy-saving preparation steps that you can take to help make your exterior painting job a little easier.

Get Rid of Old, Chipped Paint

First things first; before you even starting thinking about the painting process, you’ll want to thoroughly rid your home of all the old, chipping paint that could leave bumps and marks under a new paint job. Flaking paint can be a serious eyesore if it isn’t taken care of properly. A standard paint scraper will help you get the job done and while it may seem to be a time-consuming situation, it will definitely end up saving you in the long run so be patient and do a meticulous job.

Wash Your Home

Once all flaked paint has been removed, it’s important to make sure that you give your home an extensive washing. This will help you be sure that there’s no underlying mold or stains that could leave your paint job with patches or cause serious problems in a few years. Renting a power washer is a great way to get this step taken care of quickly and efficiently; considering that it can help prevent you from having to completely redo your project in a couple years, it’s a really good investment to make.

Trim Bushes and Trees, Cover Plants

If you don’t want your plant life matching your exterior walls, then it’s important to remember to cover them up with plastic before you start painting. Not only will this protect them from the chemicals in paint, which could be harmful and cause them to die, but it will also help you to make sure that you don’t end up with unwanted flower stenciling all around your home.

Wait for the Right Weather

One thing that’s often overlooked when making painting plans is the consideration of the weather. The climate can have dramatic effects on the longevity and overall look of your exterior paint job so it’s definitely something that you’ll want to keep in mind when you start your preparations. The ideal painting temperatures are between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything warmer than that will cause your paint to dry much too quickly and can leave your paint job looking unbalanced. Anything cooler will affect how well the paint adheres to your home. Also, make sure you wait for drier days. Painting with any level of humidity can cause bubbling.

When you decide to take on exterior painting projects, you’re committing yourself to serious hard work and time. However, following these helpful tips can help make your project run smoothly, giving you the results you’re striving for.