A decent exterior painting job can greatly boost the curb appeal of a home, whereas a home with a subpar exterior can easily become an eyesore in the neighborhood.
The best way to avoid having to repaint your home too often is to educate yourself about the preparation, application, and maintenance of the exterior paint.
A badly executed paint job can force you to repaint in just a few years, but learning how to properly prep and care for your house's exterior painting afterward can significantly extend the life of the paint job — maybe by up to a decade.
Follow Good Paint Prep Practices
Preparation is the key aspect of achieving long-lasting paintwork on the exterior. Painting over dirty, moldy, chalky, or flaky surfaces will weaken the ability of the paint to stick to the surface. Unless the paint is not able to stick correctly, an uneven paint job that is susceptible to chipping and flaking will be left to you.
Whether you're tackling the painting process on your own or hiring a professional painter, make sure that the proper preparation steps are taken to ensure your paint has the best chance to adhere successfully and stay in good condition for a long time.
What Kind of Paint to Use
The acrylic latex paint is often the perfect option for most exterior painting jobs. Acrylic latex paints are versatile because they can be used on water or oil-based primers.
They do not harden over time, which can help prevent blistering, and do not soften as easily as oil-based paints. Moreover, acrylic latexes emit fewer VOCs, making them the environmentally friendlier way to go.
Because of their ability to repel water and resist wear, oil-based paints are still preferable for certain types of projects. The strengths of oil paint can benefit from steel and iron railings as well as areas that are often walked on, such as steps, stoops, and porches.
How to Maintain an Exterior Paint Job
Once your home is effectively prepared and your choice paint is applied, it should look pretty good, but it is successful only if the makeover of your home lasts long. There are some steps you can take to prolong the paint job and prevent the new beauty of your home from fading too fast.
Using Primer
If the old paint job in your home is still in relatively good shape, it's very important to use a primer under the top coats of color — especially on new, previously unpainted areas.
Primer serves as a base coat, helps to smooth out any imperfections in the surface and increases paint adhesion, making the paint less susceptible to chipping, bubbling, or flaking.
Applying thorough coats
In addition to enhancing the appearance of your house, paint also acts as a shield that protects your house from the elements.
Nevertheless, paint must be applied correctly to be successfully protective. Verify that all surface bottoms and sides have been thoroughly painted, as any unpainted, exposed area would be vulnerable to damage like weathering, rotting, or mildewing.
Using a three-coat method on some especially damage-prone areas is also helpful; after applying the priming, apply two finish paint coats instead of only one to provide an additional protective layer.
To ensure that your building’s paint job is done correctly, hire a Professional Local Painting Company in CT
