What You Need to Know Before You Paint Exterior House
Does the outside of your home need a scrap of a refresh? Firm painting can do wonders for your curb entreatment! We've got you covered with our essential guide packed with everything y'all need to know most exterior dwelling painting.
Should I practice the outside painting piece of work myself or rent the pros?
At that place are quite a few factors to consider before making the final decision on who volition paint your habitation. The questions beneath will help yous weigh both the pros and cons with an open listen — from cost and equipment to safety and size.
7 questions to ask yourself when deciding who should practise the painting work:
1. When was my home built?
If your home was built before 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires your exterior paint to be checked for atomic number 82. Lead-based paint is toxic and the leading cause of lead poisoning. If your habitation tests positive for pb, the EPA recommends hiring a pb-prophylactic contractor.
2. What's the exterior fabric of my domicile?
The material of your home's exterior dictates your overall house painting approach. This includes taking care of repairs and calculating the amount of paint needed. For example, does your aluminum siding have dents or excessive "chalking" (a powdery blanket)? Is your vinyl siding buckling? How much paint volition you need for porous surfaces such as brick or stucco? Understanding the potential challenges upfront will aid in your decision about who will practice the painting piece of work.
3. What's the overall size of my home?
Painting the outside of a 600 foursquare-foot tiny domicile can exist a much easier task than taking on a iii,000 square-foot, two-story home. Take your dwelling'due south size into business relationship as yous assess the home painting project'due south time and labor.
The size will also touch on how much primer and paint you lot'll need to purchase. As a reference, one gallon of any Behr paint will cover approximately 250 to 400 square anxiety (one coat). Your home will about likely need 2 coats, especially if you're choosing a darker colour.
iv. If my home is a 2-story, will I safely achieve the 2d level?
Safety is primal in any house painting project. Ii- (or more than) story homes tin pose a safety risk for inexperienced DIY painters with inadequate tools to complete the painting piece of work safely. A DIY paint project is no longer worthwhile if you accidentally topple off a ladder.
five. Do I have the necessary equipment?
Outside house painting requires quite a few tools, including paint brushes, rollers, paint scrapers, drop cloths, and an extendable ladder. The cost of these items can quickly add up, so accept a complete inventory of what you have on hand and what yous'll need to buy or rent.
6. What is the overall price for DIY exterior abode painting versus hiring a professional person?
Cost plays a part in whatever dwelling improvement projection, including house painting. To determine what'south most economic, you should get at least three professional exterior home painter quotes that include a detailed explanation of what's role of the contract.
Then it'southward time to enquiry the overall cost to DIY. This includes estimating how much it will cost you to complete exterior repairs, buy the necessary amount of paint, rollers, brushes, and rent equipment such every bit power washers and ladders. Once you've priced out the full DIY toll, assess which route is most cost-effective.
7. Do I have enough time for exterior dwelling house painting?
Your fourth dimension is valuable, and painting can take a considerable corporeality of fourth dimension. Is your work or personal schedule jam-packed? Does your chore require you to travel away from home often? If y'all just bought a new firm, painting the outside could hinder your unpacking efforts and settle in. Fitting such a large project into a schedule that has little downtime can be challenging.
You tin can consider a DIY house painting projection if…
You have the time, ability, resources, and help to get the chore washed chop-chop and safely. If y'all're looking to relieve coin (and deep dive into a DIY projection), you should consider tackling the house painting project yourself. Go along in mind that DIY paint projects are best for homes with petty to no prep or repair work.
But make certain you lot assess the full scope of the project (and get free quotes from painting professionals) before you take the bound.
You should rent a professional to pigment your firm if …
Sometimes it's best to get out such a major projection to the professionals, particularly if you lack the time, skills, or ability to paint your home's outside properly. Selling your firm? If an exterior paint refresh is part of your presale home improvement calendar, hiring a painting pro eliminates that added stress as you set to listing your abode.
Ready to hire a professional? Your next step is to choose a painter. Avoid selecting a painter based on price lone. Be sure to ostend the project length, the number of workers on the job, if the painter is licensed and insured, and what prep and clean up work will be completed by the pigment company.
Pro tip: If your customs has a social media page, enquire for recommendations, and do a "drive-by" to run into the completed job in person.
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If you exercise make up one's mind to DIY, follow these 14 firm painting steps:
Step one: Give your habitation's exterior a good cleaning.
Clean your home'south exterior past removing whatsoever dirt, mold, and mildew. This volition ensure fifty-fifty distribution of primer and pigment.
For this step, y'all'll need: A power washer or hose, cleaning fluid, and a scrub brush.
Stride 2: Remove chipped or flaking paint.
Examine your home for areas where paint has lifted, is peeling, or curling up, as you lot'll need a smooth surface before you lot begin the paint application. Gently scrape loose paint with a wide paint scraper and a wire brush.
For this footstep, you'll need: A paint scraper and a wire brush.
Step 3: Repair damage to siding and trim.
A fresh coat of paint on your dwelling won't look its best if there are underlying issues such as buckled siding, rotting wood, or warped trim. Complete all pre-paint repair work, including snapping loose siding into place, fully replacing wood pieces, or repairing small woods blemishes with wood putty.
For this step, you'll need: A paintable forest putty, wood putty knives (assorted sizes), sandpaper, and an orbital sander.
Step 4: Check, repair, and recaulk seals.
Proper sealing of windows and doors prevents moisture from getting in and under your home'south exterior and causing damage.
For this step, you'll need: An all-conditions exterior sealant and a caulking gun.
Step 5: Cull your paint color and sheen.
Your options are unlimited when choosing your home's new pigment color. Whether you lot match the color to your home's fashion or personality, the right 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 apartment, matte finish for siding.
For this stride, you'll need: Paint swatches and paint samples.
Step vii: Purchase primer and paints.
Information technology's essential to properly summate the corporeality of primer and pigment you lot'll need to complete your home. Avoid nether or overestimating past using Benjamin Moore's online paint calculator.
For this step, you lot'll demand: Primer and exterior pigment.
Step 8: Assemble paint supplies.
Ensuring you take all necessary paint supplies at the prepare is an of import step in the DIY process. After checking what materials you have on paw, purchase or rent whatever outstanding supplies.
For this stride, you'll need: Brushes, paint rollers and frames, paint sprayer, drop cloths, telescoping ladder, paint bucket, painter's record, and pigment trays.
Step 9: Protect surrounding areas.
Equally careful every bit y'all may be, there most likely will be a few spills during the painting process. Cover patios, decks, landscaping, and walkways to proceed spills at a minimum.
For this step, you lot'll demand: Drib cloths, plastic sheeting, and twine.
Step 10: Utilize primer.
Skip this pace if you've chosen an exterior paint and primer combination.
Program your firm painting around articulate weather as your habitation's surface needs to be completely dry, so the primer and pigment attach properly. Choose a day that has a relative humidity of effectually 50% with temperatures that remain consequent.
Applying primer ensures the paint properly adheres to your dwelling'southward outside.
For this stride, you'll need: Exterior primer, a pigment saucepan, a paint sprayer, a castor, and a roller.
Step eleven: Use the get-go coat of paint.
It's been a long journey! You're finally set to apply the offset coat of paint. Get-go from the highest signal of your house, applying the paint in straight, fifty-fifty strokes that follow the layout of your siding (vertical strokes on vertical siding and horizontal strokes on horizontal siding). Call back — less is more during house painting as a thick, heavy hand may cause drips or uneven application.
For this step, you'll need: Exterior firm paint, a sprayer, paintbrushes, and rollers.
Step 12: Apply the second coat of paint.
Let your get-go coat of paint to dry completely. According to Behr, yous'll need to wait at to the lowest degree two hours in betwixt coats. Don't exist tempted to reuse paint-covered brushes or rollers. Outset fresh to ensure your second coat goes on as smoothly as the first.
For this footstep, you'll need: New rollers, a cleaned paint sprayer, and brushes.
Stride thirteen: Tape and pigment all trim.
At present that your exterior is looking fantastic, it's time to refresh door frames, windows, window wells, pillars, and other trim work. Choose a mold and mildew resistant exterior trim paint in a satin sheen.
For this step, you lot'll need: Painter's record, trim paint, and brushes.
Pace xiv: Clean upwardly.
Before you stand back and marvel at this huge DIY accomplishment, you'll need to make clean up the worksite. Remove painter's record, scrape whatever paint off of windows, and make clean tools and brushes. Seal pigment cans by cleaning the inner ring, placing the hat back on the pigment tin, and gently hammering effectually the hat's perimeter with a prophylactic mallet.
Avert storing pigment in places that experience extreme high or low temperatures. If y'all need to dispose of leftover primer or pigment, contact your local township or county for proper disposal guidelines.
For this step, you'll need: Contractor-grade trash bags, a utility knife, and paint clean up wipes.
If yous decide to hire a professional painter, hither's what you can look to pay:
According to Fixr.com, the national boilerplate for a ane,500 square-foot house is $5,170 (including minor prep work). Pricing fluctuates based on the type of siding on your domicile. For example, a ane,500 foursquare-foot abode with engineered wood would cost between $ane,500-$ii,000, while a stucco dwelling house comes in much higher at $iv,800-$6,500.
Continue in mind that pricing will vary based on the cost of materials and labor where your domicile is located. Get at least three quotes to ensure y'all're getting optimal services at a competitive cost.
How to maintain exterior house paint:
Ensuring your home'due south exterior looks freshly painted is possible with a bit of maintenance work. Continue the exterior clean with an annual ability washing, regularly prune landscaping trees or shrubbery that could scratch or scrape the exterior, and touch upwardly whatever damaged areas immediately. Avoid clogged gutters and downspouts as the overflow of water can impairment a home's exterior.
The bottom line
Armed with these facts on exterior firm painting, y'all'll exist able to brand the right decision on the best mode to complete the project.
Frequently asked questions
How much does information technology price to get the outside of your house painted?
The total cost of exterior firm painting is based on several factors. This includes location, square footage, price of paint per gallon, and condition of the exterior.
How do I fix the exterior of my house for painting?
For paint to be practical properly and evenly, your home's exterior volition need to exist clean and dry out. Programme to power launder, remove any flaking paint, repair loose wood or siding, and sand uneven surfaces before painting.
What is the best paint to apply on the outside of a business firm?
The all-time exterior paint for your abode is 1 that maintains its color and protects confronting outdoor elements such every bit wet and lord's day damage.
What is the best time to paint my habitation exterior?
The best time to paint your home's exterior will depend on your location. Choose a calendar month when the temperatures are above l degrees Fahrenheit and do not drop below 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the evening. Weather fluctuations tin cause dew to course on the exterior and prevent the paint from drying properly.
Source: https://www.mymove.com/painting/guides/exterior-house-painting/
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