How to Paint Exterior

How to Paint Exterior How to Paint Exterior Sometimes you may be caught with the fervor to paint the exterior of your house by yourself. Although it is much easier to employ an expert for the job and just pay him for it, there is a lot of joy involved in painting the house on your own. But make sure that you know the basics of the job. Painting the exterior is not quite as simple as painting on your school books. There is a special technique involved in painting the exterior and if you are not careful, you might end up spoiling the entire show. This will mean a waste of resources, effort and people will also feel surprised to see your house look so ugly. All that is required before painting the exterior is knowledge about the process. If you know how to do it, there is no way you can go wrong.

First of all, take a look at the surface of the exterior. Is it metal, wood or masonry? You can then buy the paint and other materials accordingly. Then consult with your local store about the paint which will suit the surface and then choose the color and the quality. You will then be sure that you have bought the right things to make the exterior beautiful.
Before getting started on the painting job, you need to prepare the surface first. Find the spots which are damaged and then fix them or have them replaced. Once the repairing is over, you can clean the surface. Use a high pressure water sprayer to throw water on the entire exterior of the house. Wash the surface thoroughly so that there is no dirt anywhere. These water sprayers are available on rent and you don’t have to buy them. After you wet the surface, let it dry completely.
You now have a clean surface. But the old paint has to be scraped off. Use a sand paper to scrub out the loose portions on the surface and get rid of the cracked paint. It does not matter if you scrape to the raw surfaces. Keep a drop cloth ready to catch all the paint that you scrape away. Another option is to get the exterior sandblasted. It will not be possible for you to do it on your own and you have to hire a professional.
You may have dug in some screw holes or hammered in some nails. Get them out and cover up the empty surfaces. If you find any scratches, then smoothen out too. The corners should be caulked where two different types of materials meet each other. Use silicone as the caulking agent. Make sure that you have taken care of all the repairs. Get the epoxy filler for the big repairs.
If there are stains on the surface, then cover with stain blocking primer. There are also primers available for the mildewed surfaces. Once you prime the surface, you can apply paint so that the entire exterior looks the same.
If there are any glossy surfaces, then sand them too. The paint sticks well to a rough surface. There are also de-glossers available for application on the glossy surfaces.
Before you start painting, you must cover all the fixtures which cannot be removed. There might be many things on the walls or nearby which the paint can get into and cannot be removed. To prevent this, you should cover them up.
Apply the primer according to the surface. The primer will vary with the surface. Don’t try to substitute with white paint. Allow the primer to dry out and then finally paint the exterior of the house. Apply a minimum of two coats to get the right color on the walls.

Your house is now ready. You can be proud of your effort and handiwork, especially when you receive compliments from your friends and neighbors.