Painting the exterior of your home is not for the faint at heart. It takes discipline, skill, and patience to cover a house from top to bottom. For those up for the challenge and those more than willing to pay a professional team to complete the project, here are some tips on how to paint the exterior of your home.
Talk to your Neighbors
If you’re set on hiring a painter, consider this advice. Before you search for reviews online, reach out to your neighbors and ask if they know of anyone. Chances are, someone in the neighborhood has had their house painted, and they can provide you with feedback on their experience. If you are a member of Nextdoor, you might spot a painting crew that works in your area. Unfortunately, online reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes websites will post fake reviews to gain business. Be mindful of these potentialities and stick to self-affirming ways to gain insight into a company and their work quality.
Exterior Painters Near Me
If word-of-mouth options are scarce, do an online search for exterior painters near me to find other options. Websites like Thumbtack offer professionals with Painting quote that you can sift through to find painters in your budget. You’ll be able to see reviews from previous customers and trust the site verification that whomever you’re considering is indeed a certified expert. Although less regulated, you might also consider sites like Craigslist to find people offering labor services as well. You can call posters and determine a fair price together. If neither of these options are cutting it, search the App Store to find companies with pros waiting for assignments. Handy is one app that has become popular for finding local pros. You can also learn more about professional painters here.
Determined to DIY
If you really want to roll up your sleeves and do all this hard work yourself, here are some DIY skills to help you paint the exterior of your home.
1. Buy only the best materials
Professionals have a natural finesse that allows them to work with cheap or expensive paint. You, however, are not an expert, but working with top materials will make your brushwork look more professional than it is. The materials to splurge on include paint, caulking compound, and primer. When selecting paint, only opt for 100% acrylic. High-quality paint is long-lasting and will cover your home’s older paint much more smoothly than cheaper alternatives.
2. Wash exterior surfaces
It is necessary to give your home a good rinse before you start painting, or you might end up painting in the flaking paint that has been sitting there from weathering and the last time it was painted. These chips will end up creating chunks in your paint and a finish that is anything but smooth. Use a high-pressure spray to effectively remove debris and other materials so you won’t have to worry about accidentally mixing in flaking pieces.
3. Expect to buy more paint
Even if you use the best primer around, how the paint is tinted may impact how well it covers your house. Expect to apply two layers of paint, as tints tend to highlight spots that are incompletely covered over. If DIY is not your style, consider hiring experts from new leaf painting for exterior painting and other residential contractor services.
Painting the exterior of your home is a project that depends on how well you set the foundation. Prepare your canvas (that being your house) with the best pressure wash and patch-ups beforehand so that however you choose to go about painting, is a guaranteed success.