How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Arvada needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of paint is a fast, inexpensive way to improve its appearance. So if your home is looking worn down or if you’re simply ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your home yourself or pay a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a huge project, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You just have to do your research to know how to prep the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints to use.

You can partner with a painter by completing all the prep work by yourself, but then having their crew come in and do the painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever option is best for you, you will still need to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Choose which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other safety equipment. If you are preparing to do the painting by yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a plan will make the painting go a lot faster as soon as you get started. Organizing your materials beforehand ensures that once you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning that you’ll be able to maintain a wet brush edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for each part of the home. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and easier to clean. 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 begin prepping the surface of the home for its beautiful new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your home (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The extreme pressure is the most effective way to eliminate peeling paint, and it also cleans the outside of your home. Some of the sections of paint will peel right off as you spray over them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was deteriorating and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, scrape it off with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand every surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered just need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on the home smooth.
5. Prime. Do not skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it conceals any previous paint (especially important with dark colors), results in an even color for your new paint, and a smoother surface with less imperfections. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the original layer of paint won’t blend into it or leave behind a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint on the best day. A professional painter can look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a home. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with very low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only does a new paint job make your house look years newer, it also provides a layer of protection for the overall structure of your home.

Paint helps prevent pests from eating or clawing into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from the elements. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt won’t stick to paint the same way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it needs to be replaced. If your paint is peeling on your home, you need to have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Worn 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 (but you want it to). If your home’s color makes it stand out, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different color can totally update its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Arvada

After prepping is complete, you can turn the work over to a professional painter in Arvada (if you hadn’t already decided that from the beginning!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with minimal effort on your part.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

• A professional painter knows the optimal way to do the job, meaning the paint will look a lot better and the project will be a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be neater, with no excess paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new paint will likely last longer than if you did the job by yourself.
• A professional painter will have the safety equipment necessary to paint surfaces higher than ground level.

Based on your DIY capabilities and interests, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most pros are fully prepared to take care of every part of the project, from eliminating old paint and cleaning the exterior to applying the paint.