CLEAN
THE SURFACE:
Mildew-
The surface must be cleaned before painting it with a finish formulated
with mildewcide. To clean away mildew, use on quart of household
bleach, two-thirds cup of any cleaner containing trisodium phosphate
all mixed in three quarts of warm water. Plan to use lots of elbow
grease and have lots of patience. If you have mildew removed professionally,
steam will be used. Soot-
Give your house a bath, using a cup of trisodium phosphate and powdered
laundry detergent mixed in 4 quarts of water. Rinse after washing
with a stiff brush or auto washing brush on a handle.
PAINT
BRUSHES:
Paint brushes are made with natural or synthetic bristles. Natural
bristles should never be used with a latex or water-based paint,
because the bristles absorb water and become mop-like.
Handles
of brushes should be comfortable in your hand and easy to clean.
Grip the bristles. The brush should feel "full." The bristles also
should fan out slightly and not clump when pressed against the palm
of your hand and they should spring back into their original position
afterward.
The
tips of natural bristles should be flagged. The flags (like several
little bristles jutting off the end of a main bristle) offer more
brushing bristles.
Most
exterior paint jobs can be handled with three size brushes-or types:
a 4-in. brush for siding and big surfaces; a 1 to 1-1/2-inch trim
brush; a 2- to 2-1/2-inch sash brush. It is recommended that you
do not buy larger brushes to make the job go faster. You will find
brushes over 4-inches wide unwieldy and too heavy to swing. Use
a roller if you want "width."
ROLLER
APPLICATION:
A roller has two parts: a frame and a cover. Roller frames and covers
are a standard size, but the covers vary as to thickness and composition
of the nap. The nap will be specified on the roller cover package
as short, medium, or long. Short nap, about 1/4-inch thick, is used
to apply paint to smooth surfaces such as aluminum and wood lap
siding.
Medium
nap covers are used for semi-rough surfaces, while long nap covers
are used for rough surfaces such as concrete block and brick.
Most
roller frames are threaded inside the end of the handle to accept
an extension handle for working higher than an easy reach. You can
buy an extension or use a standard-size screw-on mop handle. An
extension is recommended.
The
best buy in roller pans are the ones that have ribbed bottoms. The
roller cover rolls across the ribs and picks up paint more evenly.
Also, you can ft the bottom of the pan wit metal hardware cloth
which lets the cover pick up more paint evenly.
A
PLAN FOR PAINTING:
Organization makes any job go faster and exterior painting is no
exception. By following this checklist your project should move
right along with speed:
- Give
your house a bath. Use trisodium phosphate mixed with water and
apply this solution with a long-handled car wash brush. Start
washing the house from the top and work your way down. When you're
finished, rinse the house with a garden hose and let the job set
a week or so until the surfaces are dry.
- Estimate
your paint needs and buy the paint and equipment. A gallon of
body paint on a "normal" surface will cover approximately 300
square feet. Double this for dry masonry surfaces. You will need
one gallon of trim paint for every 4 gallons of body paint.
- Repair
any building component that is damaged, i.e., roofing, gutters
and down spouts, cracked and split siding, crumbling mortar joints,
loose boards and casings.
-
Remove window and door screens and all exterior hardware such
as house numbers, mailboxes, and so forth.
- If
you plan to paint the foundation of your home or siding that extends
almost to ground level, trim away any vegetation touching the
house and pull grass and weeds next to the foundation.
- Remove
damaged and peeling paint.
- Caulk
all open cracks around window and door frames, casing, fascia,
soffits, columns, railings. It is estimated that 7 tubes of caulking
are needed for an average 3-bedroom house painting project.
- Spot-prime
bare wood with a primer compatible with the finish coat of paint
that you will apply to the house.
- Cover
plants, shrubs, walks, railing, and other items you do not want
damaged by paint.
Paint
only one side of the house at a time. Complete it before you move
to another section.
