How to Prepare Your Home for Painting

If your home in Hollywood has to be refreshed, a new coat of paint is a quick, inexpensive option to improve its appearance. So if your house is looking worn down or if you are just ready for something different, consider repainting the outside of your house yourself or enlist a local painter to do the job for you.

Painting a home is a big job, but it isn’t an unreasonable job for most homeowners. You need to do your research to know how to prepare the surface by scheduling residential pressure washing, as well as what brushes and paints to use.

You can also meet in the middle with a painter by completing all of the prep work on your own, but then letting their team come in and do the painting with their best tools, safety equipment and selected paint.

Whichever choice is best for you, you’ll still need to know how to prepare your home for painting. Here are some of the most important things to remember.

6 House Painting Preparation Tips

1. Decide which parts to paint, gather the ladders and all other necessary safety equipment. If you’re planning to do the painting yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Having a clear plan will make the painting go much faster once you begin. Collecting your equipment ahead of time ensures that once you begin painting, you won’t have to stop and search for all of the supplies, meaning you’ll be able to maintain a wet edge the whole time you are painting.
2. Choose paint and brushes. The fun part of painting your house is deciding the color or color combo. You’ll also need to pick the right paint finishes for all parts of the house. Latex is better than oil-based paint for home exteriors. It’s less messy and much easier to clean up. The flat surfaces need more of a flat, or matte, finish, versus semi-gloss for the trim. You’ll need synthetic fiber brushes for latex paint. Rollers and sprayers are efficient options if possible.
3. Pressure wash. Finally, it’s time to begin prepping the surface of your house for its brand new paint! Invest time into power washing your house (or hiring a local pressure washing service) to remove any cracked or peeling paint. The high pressure water is the most effective way to eliminate old paint, and it also cleans the outside of your house. Some areas of paint will peel right off as soon as you spray over them. That’s a sure sign that the paint was aging and had to be replaced!
4. Remove peeling paint. Now that the original paint has been loosened, get more of it off the house with a metal or plastic straight edge, being diligent not to dig deep into the wood surface. Then sand bumpy surfaces for a smooth finish. It isn’t important to sand each surface down to the bare wood. Any areas where the paint is still adhered need to be tended to and have the edges sanded so the new coat of paint goes on the home smooth.
5. Prime. Don’t skip priming! Primer is an important part of preparation because it covers up any prior paint (especially important with dark colors), results in even color for your new coat, and a smoother surface with less imperfections throughout. Let the primer dry according to the directions so that the first layer of paint won’t blend into it or result in a rough patch on the surface.
6. Plan to paint in good weather. A professional painter can look at the forecast and tell you the most opportune day for painting a house. That’s why they’re professionals! If you want to do the painting yourself, wait for a day that is somewhere between 75 and 85 degrees, and with low humidity. This will lead to the best adhesion.

Why Painting Your Home is a Good Idea

Not only will a brand new paint job make your home look years newer, it also adds a layer of protection for the overall structure of your house.

Paint will help prevent pests from eating or boring into your home’s exterior. It also reduces wear and tear from inclement weather. Good quality paint prevents wood from rotting and dirt cannot adhere to paint the way it does to wood.

Peeling paint is an obvious indication that it is time to be replaced. If your paint is peeling on your home, you really need to have it repainted in order to protect the wood beneath.

Worn paint really takes a toll on your home’s appearance. If you’re concerned about curb appeal, painting your house is one of the easiest things you can do.

Painting is a good idea if your house doesn’t to “fit in” in the neighborhood. If your home’s color makes it stand out too much, or if it is the opposite and you really want it to stand out, a different color can change its vibe.

Hiring a Local Professional Painter in Hollywood

After the prepping is over, you can turn the project off to a professional painter in Hollywood (if you hadn’t already decided that from the start!). Hiring a painter is affordable. It also ensures that the results will exceed your expectations with minimal effort from you.

Hiring a local painter to paint your home has several obvious benefits:

• A professional painter will know the most efficient way to do the job, meaning the paint will look a lot better and the project will go a lot faster.
• Pros don’t typically make a mess. Their results will be much neater, with no extra paint splattered or spilled on your home.
• Because of their skill and knowledge, your new paint will last longer than if you painted yourself.
• A professional painter will already have the safety equipment necessary to paint anything higher than ground level.

Depending on your DIY skills and desires, you can trust your painter to do all the pre-painting preparation, too. Most services are fully prepared to handle each part of the job, from removing old paint and pressure washing the exterior to actually applying the paint.