How to Paint the Exterior of a House in 7 Simple Steps

Let the following tips on how to paint the exterior of your house to create a façade that will draw all the right attention.
How To Paint the Exterior of Your House

Interior painting has been, for some time, considered a part of the DIY domain, while the exterior remains a tricky challenge to take upon oneself. And we are only talking about the actual painting, but what about all those important decisions that predecease the application of paint, such as choosing the color, deciding on the finish, and picking out the right tool.

If all of this sounds really overwhelming for a painting amateur (even if you have experience with painting the interior) to tackle, let the following tips guide you through the process. You might even end up with a façade that will draw all the right attention.

Pick the right season

The beginning of the spring sounds like a wonderful time to give your home a new coat of paint. However, changing weather is typical for this period, and you may expect a lot of surprise rains.

Plan the date ahead, check the weather prognosis and make sure you have a couple of weeks of dry period.

Take your time

Painting the exterior isn’t something you can do in a day, or even a week or two, especially if you’re doing everything on your own. Divide the house into sections, and paint them, one by one.

This weekend you take on the east, and the next time when you have enough free time, move onto the west side of the house.

Choose the paint color

Before you actually get down to business, you’ll have to choose the right paint color. There are several things to have in mind here. First, does your exterior features permanent materials (brick, stone…)? In that case, you’ll have to complement them with the shade.

Second, take a look around your neighborhood, what is the prevailing tone? Your house doesn’t have to be the same, but it wouldn’t be good if it would look like a candy house in the middle of a traditional suburban area.

Decide on the finish

Color finish is also important. You can choose between flat and satin, both of which have their advantages.

Satin is easier to clean, while flat doesn’t leave any overlapping traces if you make a break while painting.

Prep the surface

Before you dip the brush into the paint bucket, you should check if the house has holes or cracks that should be patched and sealed.

The most important thing in caulking the holes and gaps is to find the right weather-resistant product.

DAP is one of the most popular sealants and it comes in various shades so it can fit into every color palette.

Use the right tools

The numerous ads about paint sprayers had us all convinced that we can do every painting task in a matter of minutes.

However, in most of the cases, it is better to use a brush or a roller, because sprayers require more prep work. You will also need a caulk gun, ladder, and power sprayer (for cleaning the exterior).

Know your strengths

Successful painting is all about picking your battles well. You may work perfectly well on a 16’ extension ladder, but there are some parts that are hard to reach and even harder to paint well. This is especially present when it comes to multi-level apartment blocks and horizontal sub-divisions with shared areas. Such a challenge requires experienced strata painters that can paint the building from one end to another.

But if you have troubles with just one side or area of the house, it is still better to ask for help than risking your safety or the property’s appearance.

Key Takeaway

One of the most important things in exterior painting is to take care of your safety since you’ll be working very high up. Don’t overreach and keep the risk of falling on a minimum.

The work will be exhausting, but the results will be incredibly rewarding.

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