Everything You Need to Know About House Painting

Does your home need a fresh coat of paint? If yes, it is important that you prepare well for the painting process. You might need to hire a professional painter or if you have the time and wouldn’t mind the smells and stains that come with paint, you can as well break the ladder out and do the job yourself. To help you with that, here are 8 tips and tricks that will help you do the job, whether it’s an exterior or interior house painting job.

Things You Must Know When Painting a House Exterior

1. Only paint a wall that’s properly cleaned

If your walls are dirty, the paint might not stick. It is important that you clean your house exterior walls in order to guarantee the success of your painting project. If you are hiring a professional painting company, ensure that the company you hire power washes all the walls before they start the actual painting. After all, with all the weather elements dirtying your exterior walls all year around, you can never be sure how clean they are even when they seem clean.

2. Don’t paint when the weather is extreme

When you paint exterior walls during winter, the extremely cold weather will mean that the paint dries slowly and unevenly. During the scorching sun of summer, the paint will dry too fast, which might not produce the smoothest of results. For you to have an unblemished finish, always ensure that you consult your paint supplier on the most ideal season to start your painting project.

3. Painting rotten siding is a waste of time and money

Hire a siding contractor to replace any rotten wood and siding material before your painting project commences. A rotten or rotting siding will continue to rot no matter how many coats of paint you lay on it. If the siding is slightly rotten, you can ask the siding contractor to stop the rotting by using a wood hardener.

4. Use oil-based paints

These are paints with added synthetic alkylate or natural oils, making them more durable than water-based oils. They are strong enough to withstand harsh outdoor weather elements. Note that the oils give these paints a choking pungent smell, so you will need to have a nose mask on when painting. The oils also make the paints to dry extremely slowly.

Things You Must Know When Painting a House Interior

1. It is important to prime the walls

Some paints come already mixed with a primer, others do not not. Be sure to ask your paint supplier for the paint specifications before paying for it. If the paint isn’t already mixed with a primer, it is important that you start by priming the walls in order to cover up existing stains and/or colors. That will allow the top coat of paint to stick better for flawless results.

2. Use latex paints

These are water-based paints. You can use these paints on the exterior walls, but they are most ideal for indoor walls. Their unbeatable colour-retention, fast-drying, and environment-friendliness properties also make them great for indoor painting. They are also able to withstand moisture, for example in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. Latex paints do not produce bad odours to the extent that oil-based paints do.

3. It helps when you prep the room first

Get everything out of the way before embarking on the painting process. This means getting all the furniture away from the walls and covering them up using plastic sheets, old newspapers, or drop cloths. You will also need to fill any cracks on the wall with spackling.

4. Boxing is great for uniformity

Sometimes you can paint the walls with the same colour but end up with inconsistent colour intensity. In most cases, this comes as a result of unevenly mixed paint gallons. Instead of painting a gallon at a time, it is best that you pour all the gallons into a larger bucket and stir everything up for a smooth, uniform, and more consistent colour. Ensure that the bucket is seal-able.

Conclusion

Any painting job is complicated for a novice, but exterior house painting is more demanding than interior painting. Always ensure that you seek professional help whenever you feel unsure of what to do. And if you require a full exterior or interior makeover, it is advisable that you hire a professional like Berger Express Painting instead of doing it yourself.

Guest writer: Amelia Frank