Mistakes To Avoid When Painting Your Homes Exterior

Posted on: 24 July 2019

If you are planning on painting your home's exterior,  you should read up on how to paint your particular type of siding and what you should do as far as preparing your siding. If you forget a few steps to help save money or time, your beautiful new paint job may begin to peel or fade quickly. The steps needed to get your siding ready to paint and while painting are both very important in the look and lifetime of your paint job. Read on for mistakes to avoid when painting your home's exterior.

Not Cleaning Your Siding

If you don't clean your siding, you aren't going to give the paint a good surface to adhere to. Think about how much dirt and grime you have stuck to your house. Painting over it isn't a good idea. Always clean your siding thoroughly with a pressure washer or a cleaning solution. If using a cleaning solution, be sure that you rinse the solution away thoroughly to prevent an issue with the paint not adhering properly. Clean beneath the siding laps and get under the soffit and along the gutters as well. Allow your siding to dry out after washing it.

Not Making Repairs

Your siding is most likely not in pristine condition. Make any necessary repairs to your siding. There's no sense in painting over siding that has cracks and holes in it. Fill in holes on wood siding with wood filler, and fill in cracks and holes in aluminum and vinyl siding using silicone and extra pieces of siding. If you have gaps anywhere, use paintable caulk where you can to fill in these gaps to give your home an even look.

Not Priming Your Home

Failing to use primer is a big mistake you can make. The primer gives your home an even color and will allow your paint to adhere better. It also prevents any stains from soaking through your new paint job. Use an exterior primer and add more than one coating if necessary. Allow the coats to dry thoroughly in between.

Not Using The Right Paint

All paints are not created equally. You should only use exterior paint for an exterior job. You should also know the difference between acrylic and latex paints. Depending on the type of siding you have, you should know which is best for your siding. Talk to a paint professional about which type of paint you should be using. Don't attempt to save money by using cheap paint either. Spend a bit extra on a good brand of paint that will give you proper coverage without using too many coats of paint.

Prevent making these mistakes when painting your home's exterior. To ensure the job gets done right, hire an exterior painting professional to paint your home.

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