How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Franklin needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of paint is a fast, affordable way to improve its curb appeal. So if your house is looking worn down or if you are just ready for a change, consider painting the exterior of your home yourself or enlist a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a home is a huge job, but it isn’t an impossible 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 which brushes and paints you need to use.

You can even partner with a painter by completing all the prep work by yourself, but then having their crew come to your home and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever direction is best for you, you’ll still want to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you are preparing to do the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go much faster once you begin. Gathering your tools ahead of time ensures that once you start painting, you won’t have to stop and search for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The best part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combo. You’ll also want to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is less messy and much easier to clean. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll want synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also efficient options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to start prepping the exterior of the home for its beautiful new paint! Put time into power washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure water is the most effective way to remove peeling paint, and it cleans the exterior of your home. Some areas of paint will peel off as you spray them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was aging and needed to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being diligent not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand every surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered just need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on the home smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is a very important step because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new paint, and a smooth exterior with less imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the original layer of paint doesn’t blend into it or create a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with little humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only can a brand new paint job make your home look several years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall structure of your home.

Paint helps prevent insects from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt doesn’t adhere to paint the way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you really need to go ahead and have it repainted to protect the wood surface.

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

Painting is also 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 it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Franklin

After prepping is over, you have the option to hand the project off to a professional painter in Franklin (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is cost effective. It also ensures that the results will exceed expectations with less effort on your part.

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

• A professional painter will know the most efficient way to do the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will be done a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be much neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Due to their skill and knowledge, your new paint will likely last longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment required to paint areas above ground level.

Depending on your DIY abilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are prepared to take care of every part of the job, from removing old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the paint.