House-Painting Rules You Should Never Break
August 26, 2022
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No home improvement project can compare to exterior painting. It’s the cheapest way to revive, beautify, and protect a house – restoring it all together. Adding a fresh coat of paint can transform the look of your home entirely. And even if it’s a complex job, it’s something even YOU can complete in one week or less.
Meanwhile, when you hire a professional painter from a reliable Painting Company in Bethel, CT, expect to pay anywhere between $1,000 and $6,000. Sometimes, fees can go beyond $6,000, depending on your home’s size and condition. But by doing it yourself, you should be able to save on labor costs, which often account for over half of the fees professionals offer.
Still, remember that painting a house, no matter the scale, takes a lot of time and effort. So, to ensure a smoother process, keep these house painting rules you should never break in mind:
It’s best to stick with top-quality when it comes to painting. After all, these ensure better and longer-lasting results. And yes, this includes the primer and caulking compound. Not to mention, these often cover more than lower-end products. But to be safe, ensure to use paint with a lifetime warranty against defects in its finish.
Generally, you get what you pay for regarding house paints. And the best quality ones use expensive ingredients, costing you around $35 to $40 per gallon, going as high as $80! Always ensure you’re using 100% acrylic paint for the best results.
For the paint to stick well, you must apply it to a clean and dry surface, free from any peeling or flaking. And this usually means a lot of scraping and sanding before you can paint! But it depends on your siding and trim.
Either way, start by washing the surface you’re going to paint. You can use a hose, a scrubber with water and detergent, or a power washer. Avoid driving water too deep into the joints between your siding or eroding wooden surfaces when using a pressure washer.
Although modern house paints typically don’t contain lead, any paint applied before 1978 likely has some. The EPA warns that all home improvement projects involving lead paint can create dust or chips laced with the chemical, harming kids and adults. So if you’re working on an older home, the EPA suggests contacting your local lead-safe certified renovation painting contractor for lead testing or removal.
If you’re painting over a wooden or metal surface, start with a top-quality alkyd primer as the base coat. The paint label should specify it, preventing the paint from bleeding. Meanwhile, a few painters like to tint the primer toward the primary paint color to minimize the need for adding two coats of paint. On the other hand, some tint the prime with a contrasting hue, highlighting areas the final coat hasn’t covered fully.
Once you’ve applied the primer, add the first finish coat. And once it becomes tacky, add the second top coat for a cleaner finish.
Use a quality paintbrush, paint roller, and, if needed, an airless sprayer. A hassle-free way to apply prime and paint to a textured surface is by spraying them on with an airless sprayer and back-roll it with a paint roller to let the paint adhere better.
If you’ve never used an airless sprayer before, double-check the equipment’s directions and start working on the less-conspicuous parts of your home. Either way, it’s best to work from a 5-gallon paint bucket and use a filter to ensure the sprayer doesn’t get clogged.
Never paint on hotter days, during rainfalls, or when windy. These can disrupt the painting process, making it more challenging than it has to be. Ideally, it would be best if you painted when temperatures are between 50°F and 90°F.
Painting under the scorching sun can cause the paint to dry too fast. So, always wait for the shade before you start painting. Meanwhile, temperatures below 50°F can stop the paint from sticking to the surface. And finally, excess humidity can bubble surfaces.
If you’re new to painting, do your homework. Take advantage of the internet and search everything about painting online, from videos made by expert painters breaking techniques to easy-to-follow steps to detailed printed guides.
Regardless, always work from the top down. It’s best to begin painting overhangs. Doing so prevents fresh paint from dripping on freshly painted surfaces below. Aside from that, paint the siding. Once it dries up, tape around your windows and doors, then add a fresh coat of paint to the trims.
Remove the painter’s or masking tape after painting, so it doesn’t leave any residue. Once everything dries up, do some touch-ups on spots where the paint hasn’t covered the surface thoroughly.
When searching for a professional painting contractor, request in-depth bids and references from three painters. Ask them for the contact details and names of their previous clients. And like with the painting contractors, call two to three of these customers or, if possible, go to their homes and see the paint job in person.
You can find a nearby local Painting contractor, Bethel, CT, and see reviews from their previous clients from networks such as Angie’s List or Google. It’s best to hire Exterior House Painters of Bethel to ensure that you’re painting project never breaks any of these house-painting rules.
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