The two most important things when it comes to house painting are preparation and the quality of the house paint. At least half your house painting time will be spent in the preparation. The upside of this is proper preparation means less time actually painting and the paint will last much longer.
1. Inspection time: Take a pad of paper and a pen for a walk around your house. Looking at the whole house while paying particular attention to potential problem areas such as windows, doors, fascia boards, eaves, and edges, make a note of loose, blistered and peeling paint, signs of mold, and missing or cracked caulking. Any problems in these areas need to be addressed before you can begin actually the house painting.
2. Power washing is the gold standard of exterior preparation. Power washing the exterior is a good first step to a great paint job. However there are potential dangers when using a power washer both to the siding and to you. Do not attempt to do any power washing from a ladder. I do not believe ladders are stable enough for this purpose. If you need to power wash are areas you cannot reach from the ground, it is best to use good quality scaffolding that is properly erected and stabilized on solid ground.
Always use eye protection when using a power washer.
Never point a power washer at a person or any body parts of yours or anyone else's. (Do not aim it at your hand to see how it feels.)
Aim the nozzle downward, not up where the spray can get under the siding. Be careful around joints, edges, flashing, and caulked areas. The spray can wash away the caulk or get under the flashing.
3. Next comes scraping and sanding. Any peeling or blistered paint should be scraped off and the edges of the area sanded smooth. If your house has a rough texture, such as some rough-sawn cedar, you will need to use a wire brush to remove the peeling and blistered paint. You might have to use some sand paper to match up the surfaces.
4. Replace any rotted wood. If there is only minor damage, I clean out the rot and fill the space with wood filler.
5. Remove any problem caulk areas and recaulk with a good quality paintable caulk.
6. If you are going to be using a paint sprayer, this is the time to mask off the trim, windows, etc, that need to be protected.
7. Priming really deserves its own article. Suffice it to say you should never use a water base paint over an oil base paint without priming first and all raw wood should be primed before painting the top coat. (Rule of Thumb: You can apply an oil base paint over a water base paint, but never the other way around.)
Caveat: If you are uncomfortable climbing ladders, do not be a hero: hire a professional.
Lead Paint: Prior to 1978, the best house paint contained lead. Prepping the exterior surfaces of your house if it was painted prior to 1978 can be hazardous. The following is from the EPA website:
"Do not use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes.
Lead dust can remain in your home long after the work is done.
Temporarily move your family (especially children and pregnant women) out of the apartment or house until the work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If you can't move your family, at least completely seal off the work area.
Follow other safety measures to reduce lead hazards. You can find out about other safety measures in the EPA brochure titled Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home (PDF) (26 pp, 933 KB, About PDF)". This brochure explains what to do before, during, and after renovations."
© 2007 Complete Books Publishing, Inc.
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