How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Columbus has to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is an easy, affordable way to improve its appearance. So if your home is looking shabby or if you are simply ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or pay a professional painter to do it for you.

Painting a house is a big job, but it isn’t an impossible job for most homeowners. You need to do your research to understand how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints you need to use.

You can even meet in the middle with a painter by doing all the prep work on your own, but then having their team come to your home and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever choice is right for you, you will still want to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to consider.

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 complete the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the painting go a lot faster once you begin. Collecting your tools ahead of time ensures that when you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and search for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the entire time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The most fun part of painting your home is choosing 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 up. The flat surfaces require 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 begin prepping the exterior of your 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 high pressure is the most effective way to remove old paint, and it cleans the outside of your home. Some of the sections of paint may peel right off as you spray over them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, scrape it off the house with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important step because it covers up any prior paint (especially with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smooth exterior with minimal imperfections. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first layer of paint won’t blend into it or result in a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter is able to look at the weather forecast and determine the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with little humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a brand new paint job make your house look several years newer, it also provides a layer of protection to the overall structure of your home.

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from inclement weather. High quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt won’t adhere to paint the same way it does to bare wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious sign that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling, you really need to go ahead and have it repainted to protect the wood beneath.

Aging paint really takes a toll on your home’s exterior. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the best 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, or if the opposite is true and you really want it to stand out, a different paint color can update its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Columbus

After prepping is complete, you have the option to hand the work off to a professional painter in Columbus (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with little effort from you.

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

• A professional painter will know the optimal way to complete the job, meaning the paint will look much better and the project will be a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be much neater, without extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and experience, your new paint will last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment required to paint surfaces above ground level.

Depending on your DIY skills and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most companies are prepared to handle every part of the job, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.