Anyone who owns a home (or has ever owned one) knows that there’s always something that needs to be done. In most parts of the country, weather conditions in the fall and winter can make outdoor maintenance tasks more difficult, so a lot of things get placed on a to-do list for spring and summer. One of those items is exterior house painting. Painting the exterior of your home isn’t the type of project you can decide to cross off your list when you wake up on a sunny Saturday morning with nothing to do. It takes some thought, planning, and preparation. Professional house painters have a few tips that can help you be successful with your exterior painting in Johns Creek.
Prepare Properly
A very important, yet often overlooked, step is to prepare the outside of your house. A clean surface is crucial for a good paint job. Several days before you plan to paint, spray the house with a diluted bleach solution, rinse it well, and let it dry thoroughly. Then scrape away loose paint and use an exterior surface repair compound. When the compound has dried completely, sand the surface. Next, remove old caulk and re-caulk around door trim and windowsills. You’ll also want to repair and re-putty windows and prime any bare wood. Prepping a home for exterior painting, and then actually painting the house is a lot of work. That’s why many people choose to hire a painting company to handle the job.
Watch the Temperature
An obvious, but important point, is to keep an eye on the weather. During the summer, paint dries quickly. That can be good, but it can also be bad. Painting services know that if the temperature is too high, the heat can cause the paint to dry too fast, which can cause the paint to blister and peel. It’s best not to paint if the temperature will be above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
You also want to avoid painting in direct sunlight because that can also cause paint to dry too quickly and create problems such as visible brush marks, lap marks, and inadequate adhesion. Plan your painting in a way that allows you to move around the house and avoid direct sun as much as possible. A good way to do this is by painting the west-facing side of the house in the morning and the east-facing side in the afternoon. Of course, you can always consider hiring professional exterior painters to do the job for you.
High Humidity
High humidity affects the amount of time it takes for paint to dry. It can also cause condensation and leave you with streaks and poor adhesion. For best results, when you paint outside, the relative humidity should be between 40% and 70%. The ideal is 50% humidity.
Use a Primer
A primer, also called an undercoat, is a preparatory coating you apply before painting. A primer helps paint adhere to the surface, so you get a more uniform appearance and improved durability. It’s especially important to use a primer when painting over new wood, bare wood, or repainting over bright or dark colors.
Applying Paint
When painting the exterior of your home, paint the siding first. Start at the top, painting horizontally, and work your way down. Then paint the windows and trim and, last, the foundation.
Painting the exterior of your house protects your home and, if you’re planning to sell, makes it more marketable and increases its value. When your home needs a fresh coat of paint, hire Fillo Painting, a residential painting contractor in Johns Creek to do the job. Call (770) 769-7941 or use the online estimator.