How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your house in Alpharetta needs to be refreshed, a fresh coat of exterior paint is a fast, inexpensive way to improve its curb appeal. So if your home is starting to look worn down or if you’re simply ready for a change, consider repainting the exterior of your house yourself or enlist a professional painter to do the job for you.

Painting a house is a big project, but it isn’t an impossible job for some homeowners. You have to do your research to understand how to prepare the exterior surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what type of brushes and paints you need to use.

You can compromise with a painter by completing all the prep work on your own, but then having their team come to your home and do the actual painting with their tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever choice is best for you, you’ll still want to know exactly how to prepare your home for painting. Here are the most important things to consider.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts of the home to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you’re planning to do the painting by yourself, you’ll thank yourself later. Having a clear plan will make the actual painting project go a lot faster once you get started. Organizing your tools ahead of time guarantees that once you begin painting, you shouldn’t have to stop and look for needed supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose the right paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your house is choosing the color or color combo. You’ll also want to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is a lot better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s a lot less messy and easier to clean. The flat surfaces require more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss. You’ll want to us synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are also time-saving options.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the exterior of the house for its brand new paint! Invest time into pressure washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to wash off any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure is the most effective way to remove peeling paint, and it simultaneously cleans the exterior of your house. Some sections of paint may peel off as you spray over them. That’s a sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the old paint has been loosened, scrape it off the house with a plastic or metal straight edge, being careful not to dig into the wood. Then sand surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any sections where the paint is still adhered need to be cleaned and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip the primer! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any prior paint (especially with dark paint colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smoother exterior with minimal imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the first layer of paint doesn’t blend into it or create a rough patch.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter is able to look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re experts! If you plan to do the painting on your own, wait for a day that is between 75 and 85 degrees, and with very low humidity. This will result in the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

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

Paint can help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also prevents wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint stops wood from rotting and dirt cannot stick to paint the way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious clue that it is time to be replaced. If paint is peeling on your home, you need to go ahead and have it repainted in order to protect the wood surface.

Deteriorating paint takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re worried about curb appeal, painting your house is one of the easiest things you can do.

Painting is also a good idea if your house doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood (but you want it to). If your home’s exterior color makes it stand out, or if it is the opposite and you want it to stand out, a different paint color can completely change its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Alpharetta

After the prepping is finished, you might want to hand the work over to a professional painter in Alpharetta (if you hadn’t already decided that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also guarantees that the results will exceed expectations with little effort from you.

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 done a lot quicker.
• Pros don’t typically make a big mess. Their results will be neater, without excess paint splattered or spilled around home.
• Due to their skill and experience, your new exterior paint will last a lot longer than if you painted by yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment required to paint anything above ground level.

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