Tips for Painting The Exterior of a House
When cleaning a natural-fiber paintbrush, use a solution of water and laundry softener. Dry the brush with a paper towel.
Clean the exterior surface prior to painting. Water blasting is one of the best ways to clean and prepare the exterior before starting any work on it, and can be accomplished using a normal hose with a high-powered spray attachment or a rented power sprayer. Sprayers usually cost about $50 to $75 a day to rent.
A ladder will be needed for reaching high parts of the house. Use ladder mitts on the ends of the ladder to prevent the paint from scraping off. The mitts are an inexpensive option and are better than using old socks. The advantage with the mitts is that they grip the siding a lot better than socks, which slip around a lot and could be dangerous. Ladder mitts are available at paint-supply or hardware stores for less than $10.
Punch a hole in the inside gutter of the can with a screwdriver or nail to prevent the can from dripping.
When painting with a roller there is no need to line the tray so it can be reused. Just pour out any excess paint when you're finished with the job and leave the tray out to dry. Once the paint inside the tray has dried it can be used again with another paint color. The color that has dried inside will not affect the new paint. After there are numerous layers of paint in the tray, discard it.
Do not skimp on paint and apply it too sparingly. This could make it necessary to apply two coats when one would have sufficed, had it been done properly. However, do not apply so much paint that it drips, bubbles and sags. Just load up a brush with paint, tap it on the edge to remove the excess, then apply.
Buy the best paint possible for the exterior of a house. The best paint will withstand the elements better than a cheaper type and in the long run may actually save money. The same goes for brushes and rollers. The less expensive brushes seem appealing because of their cost, but this is not an area where it pays to be skimpy.
According to painting etiquette, paint into wet paint so that the most recent stroke of paint blends in with what has already been applied. Painting away from wet paint may cause noticeable overlap marks, shading differences or blotchy areas.
Do not stop painting for the day in the middle of a board. Find the end of that board and paint up to it, then stop. Otherwise there may be streaking or inconsistencies in the look.
If covering a large area using a sprayer and an oil-based paint, cover the face and neck and other exposed skin with petroleum jelly before starting so that overspray will wipe right off. If using latex paint, warm water will take it off as long as it's removed within an hour. Otherwise it will become thoroughly dried. Always wear protective glasses and a mask when using a sprayer.
Use a smaller size roller for painting the home. This size works nicely for doing an entire house because they are so light and easy to work with, especially for amateur painters.
It is easier to work from a two-gallon bucket versus a one-gallon can of paint. The can is a little small to fit brushes, while a larger bucket provides more room.
A pothook is available at hardware stores and attaches easily to a ladder. It swivels around and makes a great place to hang a bucket from when working on a ladder, and it moves so that the bucket is easy to get to, no matter how it hangs.
Paint the utility box so that it blends in with the house. It can also be painted a complementary color that enhances the look of a home.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 February 2012 00:02
