Painting your home’s exterior is one of the best ways to boost curb appeal and protect your investment from the elements, but the results you get depend heavily on what happens before the first drop of paint ever hits the wall! That said, skipping or rushing through certain prep steps is the most common reason exterior paint jobs fail prematurely. Whether you’re repainting after several years or touching up a recent coat, here are the most important steps you’ll want to complete first.
1. Clean the Entire Exterior
Before anything else, the outside of your home needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Over time, dirt, dust, mildew, mold, and chalking paint can accumulate on siding, trim, and other surfaces, and if you paint over any of that buildup, it will interfere with adhesion and cause your new paint to fail faster than it should. Power washing (between 2,000 and 4,000 psi) is the most effective way to accomplish this; just be sure to allow plenty of time for things to dry completely!
2. Scrape, Sand, & Make Repairs
You won’t be able to paint until your surfaces are properly prepared. Hand scraping removes loose, flaking, or peeling paint that power washing didn’t clear away. Once the loose material is gone, sanding smooths out rough edges and creates a uniform surface for the new coat. Cracked caulking around windows, doors, and trim joints should also be removed and replaced, as well as any wood that is damaged or rotting. Painting over any of this damage will not resolve things.
3. Protect What Isn’t Being Painted
Before any work begins, windows, doors, fixtures, landscaping, and outdoor furniture or décor in the work zone need to be protected. This typically means marking off glass and hardware with painter’s tape and covering shrubs, plants, and nearby hardscaping with drop cloths. It’s also important to turn off any sprinkler systems, since water hitting freshly applied paint or primer can ruin the work! Likewise, move any vehicles far away from where the painting is taking place.
4. Apply Primer Before Painting
Primer seals the paint, helps it bond properly, and ensures even coverage, which is especially important for bare wood or repaired spots where the surface may be more porous. Skipping primer is a shortcut that tends to show up in the finished product through uneven coverage, bleed-through, or paint that doesn’t hold up over time. A quality primer applied correctly sets the stage for a coat that looks great and lasts for several years!
Taking the time to prep properly makes an enormous difference in how long your exterior paint job holds up, as well as how good it looks when it’s done. That said, if you’d rather leave the prep and painting to experienced professionals, you won’t even have to lift a finger as your home is beautifully transformed.
About Platinum Painting of Fort Worth
At Platinum Painting of Fort Worth, our team has helped countless homeowners across Fort Worth achieve beautiful, long-lasting results with our exterior painting services. If you’re hoping to transform your home, you can trust our team to guide you through every step of the process. Contact us online today or give us a call at (817) 310-9832 for a free in-home estimate or to learn more.