Your Exterior House Painting Checklist

If you’re repainting your home’s exterior, the right prep work is required to achieve that smooth, long-lasting finish you’re looking for. Whether you’ll be taking on the job yourself as a DIY project or hiring professionals, the steps below should always be taken to ensure a job well done. Here are our tips for preparing for an exterior paint job and getting the best results possible for your home.

Perform a Thorough Inspection

It might go without saying, but performing a thorough inspection of the exterior of your home is one of the most important steps you must take before you can even think about painting. If you have any rot or damage, wood repair may be required to amend these issues. If your home was built before 1970, the paint used may contain a high level of lead. Because exposure to lead is a health hazard, the appropriate safety standards will have to be followed to avoid any potential exposure. Professional painters will know how to deal with these issues appropriately and provide the most appropriate solution.

Select Products and Finishes

Once the walk-through of your exterior is complete, you should have a better idea of what type of paints and finishes will be needed to get the job done right. This will also largely depend on the weather and environment that you live in, as some homes will need a more durable, resilient paint than others. Another factor to consider is the architectural style of your home and what colours will complement it best.

Cleaning and Pressure Washing

A thorough deep-clean and pressure washing will help to eliminate dirt, mould, mildew and grime and allow your chosen paint to properly adhere to your home’s surface. For particularly dirty areas, cleaning solutions can be used to ensure all traces are completely removed from your home.

Site Protection

When painting your home, site protection is when landscaping, walkways, plants, flowers and more are covered up and protected from being damaged and destroyed by the job at hand. Not only does it protect the paint from being spilt anywhere that it shouldn’t, but it also stops paint chips from your existing coat from falling onto them while being scraped away. This is particularly important if your home was painted with lead-based paint, due to the health concerns regarding these products.

Caulking

Caulking can help to prevent cracks in your walls, windows and other surfaces from collecting water and developing mildew that can decrease the life expectancy of your paint job. Patching these holes can also protect your home from the elements and help provide better insulation. However, remember not to caulk the bottom of the siding as this area is designed to help moisture escape and covering it up will do more harm than good.

Remove Failing Paint

Any failing paint that is bubbling or cracked should be removed before applying any paint to allow for better adherence and a smoother, cleaner surface for it to call home. To expose the bar surface of your home, you can either sand the failing paint away or scrape it with a putty knife. As we mentioned above, take extra precautions if your existing paint is lead-based.

Prime

Now that your surface is clean and bare, it’s time to apply primer to allow for better adherence of your paint. We recommend applying one full coat of primer, making sure to cover up the caulked areas as well. Pre-tinted primers can often come in handy as it allows the paint to fully cover your home with fewer coats.

Mask Windows and Doors

When you start painting, the last thing you need is to accidentally get paint on your windows and doors. Masking can be applied to protect these areas and more from getting any unwanted paint on them, saving you from any headaches down the track.

Site Cleanup

Once all is said and done and your brand-new paint has been applied, a thorough site cleanup should be performed. Capture and throw out any paint chip and remove the masking and any areas of your landscaping that you’ve covered up. Once your exterior is clean, you can step back and enjoy your hard work and your beautiful new paint job.