Tips For Getting Professional Results When You Paint Your Home's Exterior
If you want your home's exterior to look like it was professionally painted, then of course your best course of action is to hire professional painters. But if you cannot afford to hire the pros or if you simply prefer to do the work yourself, there are some tips you can follow to ensure your results look top-notch.
Power wash the house before painting
Chances are, there are a lot of things on your house that you don't want to paint over — road grime, moldy spots, chipped paint, and dirt are just a few of them. A power washer will remove all of this gunk in one go-around, and it will also remove a lot of the chipped paint so you don't have to spend all day up there with a scraper. Don't be afraid to power wash on the most powerful setting, since in this case, you want to dislodge any loose paint. Give the house a week to dry out completely between power washing and priming.
Use an oil-based primer
There are some water-based exterior primers on the market, but they won't give you as professional of results as an oil-based primer. An oil-based primer seals the wood a lot better and also helps the paint stick a lot better. Apply it generously, and don't skip spots.
Apply two thin coats rather than one thick coat
It's more work to apply two coats of paint, but the results are worth it. For the first coat, do not worry too much about getting it on perfectly smooth. Just worry about covering the primer. The second coat will cover a whole lot better; this is where you should be focusing on making the paint smooth. Rolling the paint on will take a lot less time than brushing it on, and the results will be better.
Use a glossier paint on the trim
When it comes time to paint the trim, make sure you use paint with either a satin or semi-gloss finish. This will help the trim stand out a little more from the rest of the home, and it will also keep the trim cleaner, as dust is less likely to cling to the glossier finish.
If you follow the tips above when you pant the exterior of your home, you'll get better results — and probably results that look professional. Painting takes a lot of time and effort, but that time and effort are worth it in the end.
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