When it comes time to paint the exterior
of your house, taking the time and effort to properly prepare
the surface will make the difference between a great looking and
professional paint job and mediocre results. The more time you spend
preparing various surfaces before you apply a coat of paint,
the longer that paint job will last, and the nicer the job will
look when finished.
While it will take someone who has
never prepared various surfaces to prepare a house for paint longer
than someone who has done it before, plan on spending anywhere from
2-5 hours on a variety of pre-paint tasks. These can include:
- Removing shutters if desired
- Filling holes in wood trim or eaves
with wood fillers
- Sanding rough, weathered paint
from existing trim and eaves
- Covering air conditioning units
- Spraying and getting rid of wasp's
nests and spider webs
- Glazing windows
- Cleaning surfaces to be painted
- Clearing dirt or shrubs away from
the base of the house
After cleaning wood trims, moldings
or eaves, sand with rough grit sandpaper, preferably with
40-60-grit sandpaper. Using a disc sander will be easier and faster
than doing it by hand. When removing old, weathered paint, make
sure to get all the rough edges off, even if you can't remove all
the paint, so that new paint will adhere properly.
In some areas, you may want to remove
paint with a paint-thinning product like Strip-Ease, which will
dissolve old paint and can be wiped or washed off. This product
is extremely caustic however, so make sure your hands, arms and
face are properly protected. If such paint thinners get on your
skin, it is likely to burn.
After sanding with rough grit sandpaper,
use an old paintbrush to sweep away dust and wood particles
so that all wood surfaces are smooth, which will help to ensure
optimal paint adherence. For best results, apply a coat of primer
to wood surfaces before applying exterior paint. For a great looking
finish, use semi-enamel exterior latex paint, which will resist
weather.
Make sure your time and money have
been well spent and take a few extra hours to properly prepare the
exterior for painting. The results will last longer and look better,
guaranteed.
