How to Prep for Your Exterior House Painting Project

One of the biggest projects you can take on for your home is painting its exterior.  There are many steps to follow in order to give your home a high quality paint job, and prep work is no exception.  The good news is that proper preparation will pay off.  

Follow our tips and your home will be easier to paint, the job will go more quickly, and the finished product will look great.

• Create a Workspace: Designate a part of the yard to set out your tools, saws, materials, replacement lumber, and anything else you’ll need for the project.  
• Clear the Area: Remove everything you can from the area to be painted.  This includes shutters, light fixtures, your house number, your mailbox, and anything else that can be easily removed.  By clearing the surface, you’ll be able to move quickly when the time comes to apply the paint.
• Clean the Surface: The surface you’ll be painting needs to be completely clean in order for paint to adhere.  Dirt and grime, mildew, mold, cobwebs, chalk, salt and sand, and other types of debris build up and need to be washed and rinsed away before the the first coat of primer can go on.  Wash the exterior surfaces by hand, vigorously scrubbing the entire surface with a rag or a sponge.  Then, thoroughly rinse the area so that all residue and soap is removed.
• Repair the Surface: Make any necessary repairs, including replacing rotten siding with new panels, repairing damaged stucco, and replacing cedar shingles or window trim where needed.
• Smooth the Surface: Make your surface as smooth as you can so that the paint can cover evenly and thoroughly.  Scrape off old and loose paint with a paint scraper.  Remove all old nails, staples, and foreign debris.  Fill in cracks, nicks, and imperfections with putty and fill gaps with caulk.  Where needed, peel off old sealant and recaulk.  Sand over all remaining imperfections, using a sanding block, a power sander, or both.  Spot prime problem areas such as glossy spots and any areas you repaired, replaced, or sanded.
• Mask Off & Protect Nearby Areas: Put fabric drop cloths under the surfaces you will be painting in order to protect the areas from paint spatter.  Fabric drop cloths work best, and indeed should be the only type of drop cloth placed over flowers, shrubs, or other plants, since plastic drop cloths can intensify the sun’s effect on them.  Tape off windows, trim, and all remaining fixtures using painter’s tape or masking tape. This will not only protect these areas from paint, but also create a neater and cleaner end result.

You are now ready to begin painting!  Find the best primer and a high quality latex paint, and your house will be looking great in no time.  With all the right preparation work, you will surely be rewarded with a painting project that goes smoothly and looks good.  Some homeowners enjoy a large DIY project such as exterior house painting.  Many homeowners, however, prefer to trust the task to a professional exterior house painter, so if you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed with the project, find the best painting contractors and give them a call.

The Painting Craftsmen is the best Jacksonville FL painting company and the team to trust with your house painting project.  We have spent years perfecting the skills needed for exterior house painting, and we offer the highest level of professional painting services in Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, and throughout Northeast Florida.  Our exterior painting service is the perfect solution for your home, whether it’s cedar shake or stucco, wood siding or aluminum.  We specialize in the complete exterior painting of your house, from the prep work on up to the final top coat of high quality paint.  We use the best materials available, and this includes the highest quality paint and the right tools for each job.  With this level of skill, craftsmanship, and commitment to quality and care, your new paint job will last for many years, even in the blazing sun and daily rain showers here in Riverside Avondale, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and the surrounding areas.  Hand your painting project over to the pros and take the worry out of it!