How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Carlsbad has to be updated, a fresh coat of paint is a quick, affordable way to improve its curb appeal. So if your home is looking shabby or if you are simply ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a house is a huge job, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You just have to do your research to know how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints to use.

You can meet in the middle with a professional painter by completing all of the prep work by yourself, but then having their crew come over and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever option is right for you, you’ll still want to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you’re preparing to do the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the painting go a lot faster as soon as you begin. Collecting your tools ahead of time ensures that when you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home is choosing the color or color combo. You will also want to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and much easier to clean. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll want synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to begin prepping the surface of your home for its beautiful new paint! Put time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure is the most effective way to eliminate old paint, and it simultaneously cleans the outside of your home. Some of the sections of paint should peel right off as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, get more of it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered just need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any previous paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smooth surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first layer of paint doesn’t mix with it or create a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter can look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for applying exterior paint. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a new paint job make your house look several years newer, it also creates a layer of protection for the overall exterior of your home.

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from the elements. High quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t stick to paint the way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious signal that it needs to be replaced. If paint is peeling, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.

Deteriorating paint takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the best things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your home doesn’t seem 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 paint color can completely update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Carlsbad

After prepping is done, you might want to hand the job off to a professional painter in Carlsbad (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed expectations with little effort on your part.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

• A professional painter will know the optimal way to do the job, which means the paint will look a lot better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t make a mess. Their results will be much neater, with no excess 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 painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment needed to paint anything above ground level.

Depending on your DIY capabilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are prepared to handle each part of the job, from eliminating old paint and pressure washing the exterior to applying the new paint.