Painting the exterior of your house. Everything you need to know.

Last Updated: February 17, 2025

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Michael Rosenberg

Specializes in translating complex information into readable, engaging content. Michael@top10us.com

The exterior of your house is the first thing people notice about it. Thus, it provides the standard for the initial beauty test of your dwelling place. Additionally, different types of paints have a different effect on your house’s insulation properties. For example, light-colored exterior paint may prevent heat from penetrating the house. All these aspects raise specific questions in house owners’ minds when painting the exterior of their homes. Additionally, internet guides do not provide information regarding these aspects comprehensively. This article will provide a complete guide about painting the exterior of your house in this order:

Combine your exterior with the natural environment

Painting your exterior is not a stand-alone activity. Instead, your house’s exterior paint must synchronize with its surrounding. Hire a professional housing contractor to advise you on the best color scheme. Additionally, natural aspects may affect your external paint quality. Paint requires time to dry. However, if you choose to paint your house during the rainy season, the paint may run-off from the surface. Homeowners may select the summer season to allow exterior paint to dry quickly. Similarly, it would be best to prefer the generally dry months over humid months for exterior paint.

Prefer Quality Over Cost

Homeowners may require repainting of poor quality paint multiple times during the same year. This situation leads to additional and recurring costs. On the other hand, high-quality paint lasts for numerous years. Additionally, high-quality pains provide better coverage. Consequently, opting for cheaper brands may result in short-term gains. However, it will cost you more in the long-run.

You may require preparation.

The dirty and rough surfaces can not hold your paint firmly. Additionally, the paint may fall off from unclean walls without drying. Thus, the homeowners must clean the sliding effect before painting. Also, the homeowner may use sandpaper to clean the upper surface. Furthermore, the paint will not stick to a rotten side area. Instead, it will cause the site to deteriorate further. The homeowner may replace the siding with new material to prevent the issue. Similarly, you may hire a contractor to rebuild the siding before paint.

Provide your paint with a strong base

The primer provides an excellent base for your paint. Homeowners should coat the exterior house walls with a mixture of primer and sand before the final color coat. However, never paint an already infused primer in the color coat. Such paints reduce the cost of painting the exterior. These paints come at a heftier price tag compared to paints without primer. However, set-off the price if purchasing the primer separately. The homeowner may consider the customer reviews received by different paints before selecting the best one.

Mix paints together

Every can of paint has some minor differences. Consequently, opening and applying each can separately may result in different shades evident on your house’s exterior. A better approach is to combine the paint into one large bucket. This way, uniform color is applied to the entire exterior. Additionally, follow this step if you purchased additional paint gallons after the initial purchase. Hopefully, it ensures perfect color synchronization.

Follow the top to bottom rule.

Gravity causes paint drips: it’s a natural occurrence. However, if you start from the bottom, the paint drips from the upper parts will mess in lower areas. Instead, the homeowner must paint the upper area first. This way, the drips fell in the lower areas. Later, the homeowner can remove them when completing the lower areas. Furthermore, this approach saves the cost and time of the owner.

Preserve your left-over paint properly

Open paint cans do not survive for an extended period. The main reason is that the paint inside the can reacts with the air. Thus, it ruins the paint inside. However, the homeowner may prevent this issue by sealing the container. The homeowner may also slightly hammer the lid and cover it in plastic wrap to avoid drying out of paint.

Remember – paint needs special preparation.

The paint drippings may cover anything in their path. Additionally, the homeowner may find it difficult to remove them. Thus, the homeowner must either cover or move every appliance as the painting continues. Similarly, you must cover the floor space outside your home to avoid exterior paint dripping falling on the ground. Additionally, you must cover or laminate any windows opening outside your house to prevent paint drippings on them. Otherwise, removing the paint later will be very difficult.

Benefits of Exterior Paint

Exterior paint increases your house’s value. Moreover, the paint may fill up the damaged parts of the exterior. Thus, it heals your house’s structure. Additionally, an unusual or different color scheme may help your house stand out from the rest of the area’s houses. Some paints withstand weather better than others. They can protect your home from heavy rainfall or extreme temperatures.

Conclusion

Your house’s exterior gives your house its distinct look and appearance. Selecting the best paint can ensure this appearance to improve manifold. Use the information in this article as a guide when painting the exterior of the house.

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