The exterior of your home is a sheer reflection of what the interior holds. This means that if the exterior of your home is appealing, people will assume the interior to be the same.
Of course, you would agree that one of the best ways to give your exterior that “wow” appearance is by painting it. But, what if your home comes with sidings and you wish to do the painting yourself rather than hire a painting contractor? How do you go about the process to yield a perfect painting job?
Below, we have provided you with tips that would answer your question.
Preparing the Surface
As usual, the first step to kick start an exterior siding painting process would be to prepare the surface. Preparation is important in whatever painting job you wish to execute. It helps in ensuring that the surface is void of dirt that would hinder the painting process. In the case of painting your exterior sidings, preparation involves these two steps:
Sanding
Washing
Washing
Depending on the nature of your exterior siding surface, you may need to power wash. The best way to check if your siding would require power washing is by running your hand over the exterior siding on the sunny side of your house.
If a chalky residue comes off on your hand, you will definitely have to power wash as the residue may impair the adhesion of the painting. This process aims to ensure that the siding is free from elements that could hinder the painting process.
Power washing tips: When power washing, don't aim the water stream directly at the surface. Instead, use it as a paint scraper. In addition, ensure you read and understand the manual of the power washer, including safety tips.
Sanding
If the power washing process didn't discard all the existing paint including the grime and dirt, you may have to sand the surface with 80 grit sandpaper. Sand down those specks of dirt and grimes, including those peeled areas until the siding is smooth enough to absorb the paint and primer.
Priming
The next step is the priming process. Ensure you prime all bare and exposed sidings with a quality primer. Also, remember, if you ruin the priming process, the paint may not stick. So invest quality time and effort in this process.
After priming, check the sidings if it requires patching. If it does, patch using a patching compound sandwiched between coats of primer and paint. Don't forget to patch nail holes and crevices.
Paint! Paint! Paint!
Don't paint in direct sunlight. Wait for the time of the day when the area you wish to paint is in the shade. Doing this will ensure that the paint doesn't dry fast while painting.
That said, how do you paint?
Start on one side of the wall. Paint the trim, then start painting to the other side. Use a paint roller to apply the paint on a larger area, then brush out the paint for a smooth finish. Work as quickly as possible as the paint would dry fast.
Exterior painting can be a hassle. If you aren’t ready to spend your time and effort painting your exterior siding, you can contact Pro Painters Ontario to take this burden off your shoulders.