6 Things You Need To Know Before Painting Your Exterior

Changing your home’s exterior look will take some considerations, especially when planning to paint it and make it look new. Here at TOV Siding, we have listed six helpful tips that you need to try to make sure that painting your exterior will be a breeze.

1. Checking your weather forecast

When painting, think ahead. Understanding your local weather trends is crucial, and planning the suitable dates when to paint will make sure that your exterior paint won’t get ruined by mother nature. Choose the right time when there is minimal rain, and the humidity is low. Paint requires time to dry and will not cling to wet surfaces.

2. Spending More is Saving More

As always, quality should always be the priority when choosing the right paint for your home exterior. Paint technology has improved significantly in recent years, resulting in colors staying longer than ever before. You might want to save money by using cheaper paint brands, but those might last long enough and may cause some problems and end up paying more in the long term.

3. Prepping the Surface

Debris from old paint should be cleaned properly. Otherwise, your new paint job may not adhere well. Because the paint will not cling well to unclean or rough surfaces, you need to clean the siding and trim carefully, let it dry, then sand. Any flaking paint should be sanded (or scraped as needed) to provide a firm surface for the paint to cling unto.

4. Primer is Key

It is always essential to apply a good coat of primer before painting to ensure that the paint will last and be bright once applied. According to manufacturers, this is an essential rule to follow. Still, modern paint technologies have merged primer and paint into one product, reducing the number of layers you'll need to apply. This modern paint is more costly, but it may be equivalent to buying primer and paint separately.

5. Box the Paint

If you are using multiple cans of paint of the same paint color, we suggest you mix them first into a bigger container, such as a five-gallon bucket, to ensure that your home's exterior is painted in a uniform hue. This technique, known as boxing the paint, is used by professionals. This step is necessary if, for example, you purchased a gallon or two of paint less than you need and then purchased the remaining gallons later.

6. Top to Bottom

When painting, always start from the top part of your exterior, going down. It will give you more control over your paint streaks. There’s a little science on it, too, considering you will be using gravity’s help to even out the coats. Indeed, drips will always be there, but you can quickly smooth out any mistakes with the direction you are working with the top-to-bottom method.

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