Preparing the Exterior of Your Home for Painting Project
No matter whether you paint the exterior of your home yourself or have a painting contractor do the project, there are certain steps that must be followed to prepare for painting. If you want absolutely the best look for your home it is advisable that you find a contractor to handle these steps.
Preparing for exterior painting
These are several steps that need to be done for your exterior painting project to look its best. They include:
- Pressure-wash walls to remove dirt and dust buildup.
- Repair any damaged surfaces and apply epoxy filler to holes or cracks.
- Remove any loose or chipped paint.
- Caulking – fill any gaps between your houses and trim around windows or doors.
- Primer – to cover stains or any visible wood knots.
- Cover doors, windows and lighting fixtures using painter’ tape and sheeting to protect from the spray painting.
Here is where you can find further information about preparing for exterior painting.
Questions to ask a contractor
These steps are all vitally important. Ask your painting contractor if all the preparing steps are covered in his quote for the painting of your home. If there are going to be extra charges for these steps, then you might think about doing these steps yourself if you are used to working around your house and you have some time to prepare the outside for the project.
Important
Since most homeowners only have their exterior painted every 5 years or so, these steps become even more important. That is 5 years of dirt and grime, chipped paint and other damage from storms and rain as well as ice and snow. And if this chipped paint or other damages are not repaired first, your paint job looks bad but also won’t last as long between paintings.
Painting Contractor
The majority of good painting contractors will have these preparing steps as part of their overall price for painting the exterior of your home – but be wise and at least ask to make sure before you sign any contract with the painter you are using.
