How to Paint Your Home’s Exterior in 14 Steps
Does the exterior of your habitation need a bit of a refresh? House painting tin do wonders for your adjourn appeal! We've got you lot covered with our essential guide packed with everything you demand to know virtually exterior home painting.
Should I do the exterior painting work myself or hire the pros?
There are quite a few factors to consider before making the last decision on who will paint your abode. The questions beneath volition help you weigh both the pros and cons with an open mind — from price and equipment to safety and size.
7 questions to inquire yourself when deciding who should practise the painting work:
1. When was my habitation congenital?
If your abode was built earlier 1978, the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA) requires your exterior paint to be checked for lead. Atomic number 82-based paint is toxic and the leading crusade of lead poisoning. If your home tests positive for atomic number 82, the EPA recommends hiring a lead-safety contractor.
2. What'south the outside material of my home?
The material of your home'south exterior dictates your overall firm painting approach. This includes taking care of repairs and computing 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 pigment will yous demand for porous surfaces such equally brick or stucco? Agreement the potential challenges upfront volition aid in your decision nearly who will practice the painting work.
3. What's the overall size of my dwelling?
Painting the exterior of a 600 foursquare-human foot tiny dwelling can exist a much easier task than taking on a 3,000 square-human foot, two-story abode. Take your home's size into account every bit you assess the home painting project's fourth dimension and labor.
The size will also touch how much primer and paint you lot'll need to purchase. Every bit a reference, one gallon of whatsoever Behr paint will embrace approximately 250 to 400 square anxiety (ane coat). Your dwelling will about likely need two coats, especially if you're choosing a darker colour.
four. If my home is a 2-story, will I safely reach the 2d level?
Safety is key in whatever business firm painting project. Ii- (or more than) story homes can pose a safety risk for inexperienced DIY painters with inadequate tools to consummate the painting piece of work safely. A DIY paint project is no longer worthwhile if you accidentally topple off a ladder.
v. Do I accept the necessary equipment?
Exterior house painting requires quite a few tools, including pigment brushes, rollers, pigment scrapers, drop cloths, and an extendable ladder. The price of these items tin quickly add upwards, and then accept a complete inventory of what you take on hand and what you'll need to purchase or rent.
6. What is the overall toll for DIY exterior abode painting versus hiring a professional?
Cost plays a role in any domicile improvement project, including house painting. To determine what's most economical, you should get at least three professional outside dwelling house painter quotes that include a detailed explanation of what'southward part of the contract.
And so it's fourth dimension to research the overall cost to DIY. This includes estimating how much it will cost you to consummate exterior repairs, purchase the necessary amount of paint, rollers, brushes, and rent equipment such equally power washers and ladders. Once you've priced out the total DIY price, assess which route is most cost-effective.
seven. Exercise I have enough time for exterior home painting?
Your time is valuable, and painting tin can take a considerable amount of fourth dimension. Is your work or personal schedule jam-packed? Does your job require yous to travel away from home often? If you simply bought a new house, painting the exterior could hinder your unpacking efforts and settle in. Fitting such a big project into a schedule that has trivial reanimation tin be challenging.
You can consider a DIY firm painting project if…
Yous have the fourth dimension, ability, resources, and assist to get the job done quickly and safely. If you're looking to save money (and deep swoop into a DIY project), you should consider tackling the house painting project yourself. Keep in listen that DIY paint projects are best for homes with little to no prep or repair work.
But make sure yous assess the full scope of the project (and get free quotes from painting professionals) earlier you accept the leap.
You should hire a professional to paint your house if …
Sometimes it's all-time to leave such a major project to the professionals, especially if you lack the time, skills, or ability to paint your home's outside properly. Selling your house? If an outside paint refresh is role of your presale home improvement agenda, hiring a painting pro eliminates that added stress as you prepare to list your home.
Set up to hire a professional? Your side by side 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 task, if the painter is licensed and insured, and what prep and make clean upwardly work will be completed by the paint company.
Pro tip: If your customs has a social media folio, ask for recommendations, and do a "bulldoze-by" to see the completed job in person.
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If you lot do determine to DIY, follow these 14 house painting steps:
Step 1: Requite your home's exterior a good cleaning.
Clean your dwelling'due south exterior by removing any clay, mold, and mildew. This volition ensure even distribution of primer and pigment.
For this footstep, yous'll demand: A ability washer or hose, cleaning fluid, and a scrub castor.
Step 2: Remove chipped or flaking paint.
Examine your home for areas where paint has lifted, is peeling, or crimper up, as you'll need a smooth surface earlier y'all brainstorm the pigment application. Gently scrape loose paint with a broad pigment scraper and a wire brush.
For this step, you'll need: A pigment scraper and a wire brush.
Step 3: Repair damage to siding and trim.
A fresh coat of paint on your home won't await its best if there are underlying bug such as buckled siding, rotting woods, or warped trim. Complete all pre-paint repair work, including snapping loose siding into identify, fully replacing wood pieces, or repairing pocket-sized wood blemishes with wood putty.
For this stride, you'll need: A paintable forest putty, wood putty knives (assorted sizes), sandpaper, and an orbital sander.
Stride four: Check, repair, and recaulk seals.
Proper sealing of windows and doors prevents moisture from getting in and under your dwelling'southward exterior and causing damage.
For this step, you'll need: An all-weather exterior sealant and a caulking gun.
Step 5: Choose your paint color and sheen.
Your options are unlimited when choosing your home's new pigment color. Whether you lucifer the color to your home's style 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 flat, matte terminate for siding.
For this step, you'll need: Paint swatches and paint samples.
Stride seven: Buy primer and paints.
It'south essential to properly calculate the corporeality of primer and paint you'll need to complete your habitation. Avoid nether or overestimating by using Benjamin Moore's online paint estimator.
For this step, you'll need: Primer and exterior paint.
Step eight: Gather pigment supplies.
Ensuring you accept all necessary paint supplies at the ready is an of import stride in the DIY process. After checking what materials you have on hand, purchase or rent any outstanding supplies.
For this pace, y'all'll need: Brushes, pigment rollers and frames, paint sprayer, driblet cloths, telescoping ladder, paint bucket, painter'southward tape, and pigment trays.
Step ix: Protect surrounding areas.
Every bit careful as you may be, in that location most likely volition be a few spills during the painting process. Comprehend patios, decks, landscaping, and walkways to keep spills at a minimum.
For this footstep, you'll need: Drop cloths, plastic sheeting, and twine.
Stride 10: Apply primer.
Skip this stride if you've called an exterior paint and primer combination.
Plan your house painting around clear atmospheric condition as your domicile'southward 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 consequent.
Applying primer ensures the paint properly adheres to your home's outside.
For this pace, you'll need: Exterior primer, a paint saucepan, a paint sprayer, a brush, and a roller.
Step 11: Apply the kickoff coat of paint.
Information technology's been a long journey! Yous're finally ready to apply the first glaze of paint. Start from the highest bespeak of your firm, applying the pigment in directly, fifty-fifty strokes that follow the layout of your siding (vertical strokes on vertical siding and horizontal strokes on horizontal siding). Remember — less is more during house painting as a thick, heavy hand may cause drips or uneven application.
For this step, you'll demand: Exterior house pigment, a sprayer, paintbrushes, and rollers.
Step 12: Utilize the 2nd coat of paint.
Permit your first glaze of paint to dry completely. According to Behr, you'll demand to wait at least two hours in between coats. Don't exist tempted to reuse paint-covered brushes or rollers. Start fresh to ensure your 2nd coat goes on as smoothly as the first.
For this footstep, you'll need: New rollers, a cleaned paint sprayer, and brushes.
Step xiii: Tape and paint all trim.
Now that your exterior is looking fantastic, it'southward time to refresh door frames, windows, window wells, pillars, and other trim piece of work. Choose a mold and mildew resistant outside trim paint in a satin sheen.
For this stride, you'll demand: Painter's tape, trim paint, and brushes.
Step 14: Make clean up.
Before you stand up back and marvel at this huge DIY accomplishment, you'll need to clean upwardly the worksite. Remove painter's tape, scrape whatsoever pigment off of windows, and clean tools and brushes. Seal paint cans by cleaning the inner band, placing the lid back on the paint tin can, and gently hammering effectually the chapeau's perimeter with a condom mallet.
Avoid storing pigment in places that experience extreme high or low temperatures. If you need to dispose of leftover primer or pigment, contact your local township or county for proper disposal guidelines.
For this footstep, you'll need: Contractor-course trash bags, a utility pocketknife, and paint clean up wipes.
If y'all decide to hire a professional painter, here's what you can expect to pay:
According to Fixr.com, the national average for a one,500 square-foot house is $5,170 (including minor prep work). Pricing fluctuates based on the blazon of siding on your dwelling house. For case, a 1,500 square-foot habitation with engineered wood would cost betwixt $1,500-$2,000, while a stucco dwelling comes in much higher at $4,800-$six,500.
Continue in mind that pricing will vary based on the cost of materials and labor where your domicile is located. Go at least iii quotes to ensure yous're getting optimal services at a competitive price.
How to maintain outside firm paint:
Ensuring your home's exterior looks freshly painted is possible with a flake of maintenance piece of work. Go on the exterior clean with an annual power washing, regularly prune landscaping copse or shrubbery that could scratch or scrape the exterior, and touch on up any damaged areas immediately. Avoid clogged gutters and downspouts as the overflow of water tin can damage a abode's exterior.
The bottom line
Armed with these facts on exterior house painting, you'll exist able to brand the right conclusion on the best way to complete the project.
Oftentimes asked questions
How much does it cost to get the outside of your house painted?
The full cost of exterior house painting is based on several factors. This includes location, foursquare footage, price of paint per gallon, and condition of the outside.
How do I set the exterior of my house for painting?
For paint to be practical properly and evenly, your habitation's exterior will need to be clean and dry. Programme to power wash, remove any flaking paint, repair loose forest or siding, and sand uneven surfaces earlier painting.
What is the best paint to use on the exterior of a firm?
The best exterior paint for your home is one that maintains its colour and protects against outdoor elements such equally moisture and dominicus damage.
What is the all-time time to pigment my abode outside?
The best time to paint your dwelling house'due south exterior will depend on your location. Cull a month when the temperatures are above l degrees Fahrenheit and practise non drop beneath 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the evening. Weather fluctuations can cause dew to form on the exterior and prevent the paint from drying properly.
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Source: https://www.mymove.com/painting/guides/exterior-house-painting/
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