Are you tired of your home’s bland exterior aesthetic? A fresh coat of paint can really work wonders, and it may be just the thing to enhance the curb appeal of your house. There are plenty of trends in 2018 you can implement, but at the end of the day, you want to go with something you will enjoy looking at every day. However, before you bring a professional team in to start painting, here are a few things to handle first.
Repair Any Damage
You can look at your home’s siding yourself and have a professional contractor take a look. If it is particularly old, then rot and other signs of damage may have developed. Before you do anything else, you will want to take care of these problem areas. When the damage is minimal, you may be able to get by with basic repairs. However, when the damage is extensive, you may be better off with a total replacement.
Trim Nearby Trees
When pursuing a project as large as exterior painting, you really want to take into account the aesthetic of the yard as a whole. You may want to consider eliminating or moving certain plants so that they do not get in the way of the painters. Additionally, you do not want to risk a nearby tree branch impacting your house and degrading the new paint job. You should pursue tree trimming fairly often anyway for the overall health of your foliage.
Wash the Exterior
You do not want people painting over your house when dirt and grime are still present. These substances may make the paint not stick as well. You are investing a lot in this paint job, so you do not want to have to do it again anytime soon. From the top to the bottom, you want to give your house a thorough cleaning. The best way to go about doing this is to rent a pressure washer. Most homeowners will only need to use plain water. Additives are only necessary if mold is present.
Scrape Flaking Paint
After you have washed your house, you want to make sure it is adequately primed for the professionals. Use a regular paint scraper to remove any flaking paint on the surface. However, you want to make sure you do this at least 24 hours after you wash it. If you attempt to remove flakes while the siding is still wet, then you may end up taking away more paint than you need to.
Apply Caulk
Caulking is an important step in the exterior home painting process. The professional painters may take care of this step for you, but you certainly want to ask about it. Caulking is used to fill in any cracks or gaps within the siding. One reason why you may want to leave this job for the professionals is that you do not want to accidentally caulk any spaces that are necessary for ventilation.
Apply Primer
Similarly, this is a task the painters should do for you. The reason why priming is so essential is that it seals pores within the unpainted surfaces, and it covers various imperfections. It also optimizes the surface so that the paint will have an easier time adhering. Primer is particularly important on new drywall or when you are planning to drastically change the color of your home’s exterior.
Painting a house is a delicate process, so make sure you take your time to ensure every step gets done. Rushing will only do more harm than good, and you may need to spend more time repairing the mistake. Your home will be a fantastic new color soon enough.