How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Norman needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a quick, affordable way to improve its appearance. So if your home exterior is starting to look worn down or if you’re just ready for something different, consider painting the outside of your home yourself or pay a local painter to do the job for you.

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

You can compromise with a professional painter by doing all of the prep work by yourself, but then letting their team come over and do the painting with their tools, safety equipment and professionally selected paint.

Whichever choice is best for you, you’ll still need to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, collect the ladders and other necessary safety equipment. If you are planning to complete the painting yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the painting project go a lot faster once you get started. Collecting your equipment beforehand guarantees that when you start painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll have to maintain a wet 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 combination. You’ll also need to choose the right paint finishes for all parts of the home. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It is a lot less messy and easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are time-saving options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it is time to start prepping the surface of the home for its brand new paint! Invest 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 best way to remove peeling paint, and it cleans the outside of your home. Some sections of paint may peel right off as soon as you spray them. That’s a sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off the house with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig into the wood surface. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t necessary to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new paint goes on smoothly.
5. Prime. Do not skip the primer! Primer is a very important step because it conceals any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in an even color for your new coat, and a smoother surface with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry based on the directions so that the first layer of paint won’t blend into it or leave behind a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and find the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re professionals! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, with very low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

Paint helps prevent insects from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also stops wear and tear from the elements. High quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt won’t adhere to paint the way it does to wood.

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

Aging paint takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your home is one of the best things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your home doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out too much, or if the opposite is true and you want it to stand out, a different color can change its look.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Norman

After prepping is done, you might want to hand the work over to a professional painter in Norman (if you hadn’t already chosen that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with minimal 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, which means the paint will look much better and the project will be done a lot faster.
• Companies don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new exterior paint will probably last a lot longer than if you did the job yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment needed to paint areas higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY capabilities and desires, you can trust your painter to complete all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are fully prepared to take care of each part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to actually applying the paint.