Tuesday, May 7, 2024

How to paint an exterior wall a step-by-step guide

how to paint exterior house

A soft white paint with gray undertones paired with white accents makes an excellent alternative to an allover white exterior. A cream and burnt orange color palette looks especially nice on a Spanish-style home, like the 1926 Los Angeles residence of designer Justina Blakeney. The burnt orange window trim and roofing bring out the warmth in the off-white siding. Allow your home to harmonize with the greenery that surrounds it by creating a jade and olive color scheme, as HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier did for this Laurel, Mississippi, home.

Tape off bottom edges

Many offer color cards that suggest color combinations for siding and trim. Quality pigments allow a good paint to cover fully with just one coat. Paints with lower-cost pigments often must be applied in several coats. That means more work, which makes buying low-quality paint a poor financial decision.

How to DIY a Board-and-Batten Wall

Studies show that exterior upgrades such as new paint boost a home’s curb appeal and yield a good return on investment. Krall has read reports estimating an ROI of 152% on exterior paint jobs and 107% on interior paint jobs. To begin, a professional preps the surface of your home’s exterior for paint. Vinyl siding requires pressure washing to remove dirt and grime and prepare a smooth surface for the paint to stick.

Paint the next edge

Plan your house painting around clear weather as your home’s surface needs to be completely dry, so the primer and paint adhere properly. Choose a day that has a relative humidity of around 50% with temperatures that remain consistent. You have the time, ability, resources, and help to get the job done quickly and safely. If you’re looking to save money (and deep dive into a DIY project), you should consider tackling the house painting project yourself.

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How to Paint Your Home’s Exterior

Depending on the conditions and thickness of the bead, it could actually take up to 10 days to cure. On south-facing sides, the wall could be dry in a few minutes. There are several methods and tools for removing peeling paint including hand scrapers, power scrapers, chemical strippers and heat guns. It’s tedious work, but it is extremely effective and gives you the most control. Avoid storing paint in places that experience extreme high or low temperatures.

how to paint exterior house

Maintaining a wet edge is one of the most important techniques in painting (Photo 3). Simply put, always try to brush or roll back into paint that’s still wet. The result will be a uniform, seamless-looking coat of paint. Good-quality paint is easier to apply, covers better and lasts longer.

"The second coat called the top coat, will give you a uniform appearance and make sure the old color is completely covered." With loose paint removed, it’s time to step back and assess what remains. If most of the paint still adheres well and it’s not too bumpy, the boundary between the paint and the bare wood can be smoothed with 50- or 80-grit sandpaper. Fill in minor cracks and gaps around windows and doors with a high-quality paintable caulk. Your Benjamin Moore retailer can help you choose the right one.

Next, a professional tapes off or masks features of the home that don’t need to be painted, such as windows, light fixtures, and gutters. Most professionals use a paint sprayer to apply one or two layers of paint over the course of a few days. Use a brush to paint corners, edges and areas not accessible with a roller. Avoid overloading the brush with paint, which can cause drips and splashes. Once walls are clean, you can start painting straight away on newly-rendered or new brick or cement block walls. For older brickwork or if you are painting over an existing paint finish, you’ll need to repair any damage first before painting.

Prep the surface

"Preparation is key for getting a paint job that looks great and lasts a long time," says Geoff Sharp, president and owner of Sharper Impressions Painting. When power washing, know that too much pressure can damage surfaces. Follow the instructions for pressure settings and other precautions. The first step in the house-painting process is to choose an exterior paint or, in some cases, stain. Both will do a good job of protecting the wood underneath, but stains can be easier to touch up or recoat. Stains involve less prep work when it’s time to repaint the entire home, though a glossy finish is not an option.

Most paint dealers will also help you win the match game. For instance, Benjamin Moore dealers will also scan a photo of your house and let you experiment with color on a computer screen. Save paint in airtight containers for later use as touch up paint. If the paint is in good condition and the new intended color is the same or similar to the previous color, primer may not be necessary. With the screwdriver and cordless drill, remove all items that are easily removable such as house numbers, lights, security cameras, flag mounts, dryer vents and mailboxes.

Simply spot-prime the areas that need it with a brush and can of primer. If the area is too large to prime with a brush, use a roller and paint tray. This step of the project alone can take days to complete. Once the windows are complete, it’s time to paint the siding. Here you can use a sprayer, brushes, or rollers — or a combination of these. Once the caulk is completely dry, it’s time to paint the trim and windows.

A color that looks perfect in a shaded spot might look different on a sunnier wall. Deciding which paint to use has gotten much easier now that acrylic latexes have pushed oil-based paints almost to extinction. Always work from the top down, painting gutters and eaves first if you want them to match the color of your siding. Paint trim before the main surface of the house first as well.

Test kits (available at home improvement stores) can detect the presence of lead. If your home harbors lead paint, consult the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines and call on an expert. The EPA maintains a list of lead renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) firms trained to deal with lead-based paint safely. Do-it-yourselfers are best off using a brush for maximum control.

Whether you match the color to your home’s style or personality, the correct paint sheen will need to be based on the surface of your home. For example, Sherwin-Williams recommends a satin sheen for trims and a flat, matte finish for siding. Once you’ve priced out the total DIY cost, assess which route is most cost-effective.

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Although wood siding types vary — and each may call for slightly different exterior paint application techniques — for the most part, the steps in this guide will have you covered. However, if your home exterior is masonry, painting and prep require different processes. The total cost of exterior house painting is based on several factors. This includes location, square footage, price of paint per gallon, and condition of the exterior. Fresh paint can take your home from good to great, and there’s no better time for an exterior paint job than the warm months.

Paint the window sash (the movable part) early in the day and return to paint the frame around the sash. This way your paint job will look neat and you won’t waste time. Preparation is a separate topic covered in other articles. While you may spend a substantial amount on tools and paint, the same job done by a pro could easily cost many times more.

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