One of the cost-effective ways to both protect your home from the elements and spruce up your property is to paint the house exterior. By ensuring that the exterior parts of your structure are regularly painted and maintained, you are providing an extra layer of security and an underlying ability to stay waterproof.
While painting the exterior of your house may seem a little daunting, this simple guide will go over some pretty simple tips and tricks, as well as draw attention to mistakes which need to be avoided.
Harmony With Nature
The first thing you should do is to get in harmony with mother nature. Plan ahead and pick a time which is suitable, understanding your local weather patterns. Times of year when there is low humidity, and little chance of rain will be best. It's evident that painting in cold weather is never ideal; still, you can achieve some good results if you follow house painting tips during winter.
Thorough Inspection
Next, you will want to thoroughly inspect all exterior walls for defects and damage such paint chipping or blistering. Ensuring all surfaces are in good condition will save you both time and money later, as you don’t want the paint you have applied to start to chip and crack due to the underlying damage. This thorough check will save a lot of headaches in the future.
Prepare The Surface
Afterwards, you have to prepare the surface for painting. Start with to sand down the previous layer of paint and ensure that any rough surfaces are made smooth in texture to aid with the application of the new layer of paint. Professional painters and decorators prefer to use the pressure hose to clean the surfaces after sanding and scraping to make sure no dirt or grime remains. An uneven, dirty or rough surface will not allow the applied paint to adhere correctly.
Apply The Base Layer
Now, it’s time to apply a base layer of paint to aid adhesion and to cover any existing colour or spot. You have to ensure the use of a waterproof caulk such as latex caulk to fill areas around doors, windows and frames where you may find water damage or holes and cracks. Filling in these areas ensures that the layer of paint you’re applying will last longer and won’t allow any damp into your house. Paint simply doesn't stick to rotten areas.
There are various types of paint and choosing the right type will allow you to take advantage of its unique benefits. There are two main exterior paint types available, one which is water-based latex paint and the other is an oil-based alkyd paint.
a. The latex based paint allows for easier application and helps to protect the exterior walls of your home due to its rubbery consistency. It is less likely to crack and/or blister. The latex paint also dries quickly, has less of an odour and the best quality latex paints usually contain almost 100% of acrylic resins.
b. On the other hand, the oil-based alkyd paint is more popular amongst professional painting contractors due to its easy application. It’s also a more durable paint that dries smoothly and takes fewer brush strokes to cover large areas. This paint tends to have a strong odour and has to be cleaned up with paint thinner while taking much longer to dry.
It is important to note that if you wish to apply a latex-based paint over the top of oil-based alkyd paint, you need to use a primer to ensure the new layer adheres to the surface correctly. It lays over the old paint, locking everything in place and creating a suitable surface for the new paint to adhere to.
A new coat of paint can bring a fresh look to your property to give it a new lease on life. If you’re looking for professional painters and contractors, no matter what type of building you have, you should consider to consult with Dulux accredited residential painters in Sydney.
