To most people, exterior painting is a way to beautify their building and to protect its outer surface. Check out the following methods on how to carry out exterior painting:
There are two things you need to know before carrying out exterior painting; one is to prepare the surface, the other is buying the best paint you can afford.
1. Do a House Inspection
To determine the amount of work, first, conduct a quick house Inspection. Select an unostentatious place/space where the paint is at its worst, clean and dry the surface, then paint a small patch. The next day, press a piece of tape to the surface and quickly take it off. If the tape is clean, it’s safe to do the remaining painting.
2. Touching Up
Before you begin painting, cover your doors and windows with builder’s paper and lay drop cloths on the ground. Use a putty knife or hook scraper where wood is uneven (so as not to damage the wood) and to also remove loose paint. Wash the house with a wire brush and garden hose to remove leftover paint.
3. Stripping
If you want to strip your whole house down to bare wood, start with a hard hand-scraping technique. Scraped as much as you can, then patch any gaps or gouges with a two-part wood epoxy. After that, sand the whole surface until smooth.
For a more effective look, use a cleaning solution like a cup of bleach mix with a cup of trisodium phosphate in two gallons of water. Spray the surface of the house while hand-scraping with a stiff-bristled brush. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes half then rinse the garden hose gently. Try not to use a power-washer, though it saves time but its streaming jets tend to damage the old wood. Let this treatment dry off for like 3 days then apply primer.
4. Brush Work
Many paint jobs are done with a two-inch angled sash brush or a three-inch straight-edge siding brush. All brushes are made of long bristles with chiseled ends and flagged end. So go for the one that works best for you.
Always start your painting at the top then work your way down so that any stain can be erased as you go along. If you are using a paint sprayer, apply paint sparingly like two thin coats rather than one. Work with the sun when painting. First paint the north side of your building, the east side late in the morning, the south in the middle of the day, and the west side in the evening.
Allow the paint to dry for a couple of days, smooth the edges with rough paper and paint again. Remember, painting requires lots of hard work and skills. If you feel you are not up to the task, worry not, there are professionals ready to do the job for you.
For more information, contact Wash N Seal.