A new paint job has that special power to completely transform a home’s exterior. If you’ve been planning to give your house a fresh coat of paint, you’ve probably given a lot of consideration to the basics; you may have looked over palette samples and pictures, you may have purchased your rollers and brushes, you may have thought of taking some time off work to work on your paint or of hiring professionals to get the job done for you. But some things might have slipped your mind. Here are 5 unconventional things to consider when you paint your house exterior:
Making sure the weather’s on your side
Planning ahead of time when it comes to painting your home’s exterior is important. Depending on where you live, some periods of the year will be wetter or more humid than others. Avoid these days or other extreme weathers. You don’t want too much moisture in the air because the paint will take some time to dry off and won’t gel properly with the wall. On the other hand, a temperature that is too low will take a long time to dry and too much heat or windiness will cause the paint to dry too quickly. A mild day with a light breeze is ideal.
Trying to get a uniform shade
When professionals paint exteriors, they don’t use separate cans of paint. They use a technique called the boxing paint technique, which involves mixing all the cans of paint you require in a larger container. Since different containers of paint of even the same color may have slight variations between them, mixing all your cans will make sure that the entire exterior of your house is the same shade.
Keeping your environment paint-free
While you paint the outside of your house, flecks of paint are sure to get on surfaces around the house. You may just forget about this and start painting without covering the landscape that might get splashed with paint. Use tarps or drop cloths to cover the ground, and garden décor such as bushes and flowerbeds. Also move or cover outdoor furniture if you need to.
Getting quality paint that’ll do more than just color your exterior
Choosing the perfect color is only half the battle. You also want your paint to be long-lasting and to give you multiple functions of protection. There are newer paints that are resistant to extreme weathers, so it won’t wear away very fast. Things like anti-carbonation against concrete decay, resistance to dirt pick up, protection from UV radiation, and resistance to flaking and chalking are further great benefits to have. Some paints also come with primer mixed, which reduces the number of coats needed.
Prepping the surface before you paint
Paint adheres very well to solid, clean surfaces. But if it’s dirty or rough, it’ll have a tough time lasting (although it needs some grit to ensure the paint has a good grip). Make sure you thoroughly clean and trim the sidings before you begin. It is also important to properly sand paints that are peeling so that the new coat will get a chance to adhere. If you have siding that is rotten, replace it with new siding or wood trim before you prep the surface for paint.
These tips will help you ensure that you’re not making mistakes that can backfire on your plans to give your house that fresh, updated look. There are some other tips that you should keep in mind, such as painting your way downwards so that you can paint over drips and keeping your paint cans tightly sealed until the job is complete, so that the paint doesn’t dry and become unusable. The points above might not immediately come to mind, but they will undoubtedly prove to be very helpful.
