Preparing Your House for a Paint Job
Prepping For A Paint Job
Preparation is key to getting professional quality results from your paint job. The surface that you apply paint to should be clean, smooth, and sealed to prevent absorption. No matter what the quality of the paint you use, nothing will compensate for the lack of attention you give to the surface before you ever touch the first drop of paint to it. When the process is performed properly, the results will also be longer lasting.
Pressure Washing
Pressure washing is the first step in exterior painting and the most effective way to clean almost any surface. With siding, washing is the only thing you need to do before adding a refresher coat of paint. A professional strength pressure washer will also remove loose paint, mildew, and other damage on the surface. The surface should be washed with the appropriate detergent, and then rinsed.
One of the problems many homeowners run into when they try to do a professional job painting is the lack of professional quality tools. There are many pressure washers sold on the market that are good for small scale cleaning jobs, but not powerful enough to do a thorough job. Professional pressure washers have an engine that increases the pressure so that the surface of the house is smooth enough to paint immediately after cleaning.
Scraping
Surfaces with severely cracking and peeling of paint may require scraping. This can be done with a metal scraper which uses carbide blades.
Repairs
Houses with siding are also prone to problems in some areas that require special treatment or replacement of single pieces of siding. Removing a single piece of siding can result in the splitting of neighboring pieces that don’t need to be replaced. These are some of the problems that turn painting the exterior of the house more difficult for the do-it-yourselfer than interior painting may.
The very structure of most homes can present more challengers to the homeowner than they would expect from painting even the tallest rooms in average homes. Accessing upper levels of the exterior requires extended ladders and scaffolding, professional quality tools for evenly applying paint to complex structures such as railing and balconies, and taking all the appropriate steps to create a strong finish that will withstand the elements. For many, hiring Dixon Painting to get the job right the first time is a simple choice.