Painting the exterior of your house is a major job compared to painting the inside of your home. While this may be a complicated job, there is no need to hire a professional since you can do this all by yourself. To do this properly, here are few tips which can guide you in decorating your home with exterior paint.
Type of exterior paint
Choosing the kind of color for your home's exterior painting can be tricky since there is a kind of paint suitable for every surface. Also, exterior paint is more expensive since it contains more resin and pigment for moisture resistance and longer durability. It's much better to go for latex since it's easier to apply, dries quickly and can be cleaned easily. But if you're into durability, you may opt for alkyd-base paints. However, it dries slowly and you may need to use solvents in cleaning.
Exterior paint color
When you're unsure, choose a color based on what was used previously. Otherwise, experiment on colors and check on the color combinations available in the paint store. Buy only a small can first and apply on one side of the wall outside of your house and see whether it fits your preference.
Cleaning the House's exterior
Once you've purchased the paint, the next thing to do is to clean the outside of your house. The surfaces should be clean and dry and at the same time, wash of any chalk or dirt. If you have any plants, cover it with plastic. Scrape off any peelings or cracked paint and use a sandpaper to smoothen rough spots. You should also brush the sidings and trim then rinse the outside of your house with a garden house to make sure the entire exterior is clean.
Choosing a Brush
Bear in mind that the brush is also important as the paint itself since it is capable of giving certain effects when wrong brush is used. If you're using a latex paint, use a polyester or nylon brush. If you go for oil-based ones, then a natural –bristle brush will do.
Painting the house
Remember that painting the house is also an art. Also, temperature plays a significant role in the whole process so paint when the weather is dry or hot.
The first thing that needs to be done is to apply a primer on any bare sidings and masonry surfaces. Once dried, paint the roof trim and soffits first especially when the walls are in different colors to avoid dripping. Paint the inside corners as well using a corner roller or trim brush. Once you're done, proceed with the walls starting from the top and apply the paint gradually. As soon as you're through, don't forget to apply a top coating. Using light colored paints means one coating while dark ones require two coats.
Keep in mind all these tips when you decide to decorate your house using exterior paint. With the right amount of preparation and by proper maintenance, your exterior paint will surely last.
Chris Wilson is the Sales Executive at Madison Art Shop. Madison Art Shop is online art Supply Company in USA and they are totally focused on giving the widest product selection of art at the most competitive prices.
It’s good to know that when you’re painting your home’s interior in a dark color, you would need two coats to get it done right. I also like that you said we should get latex paint because it’s easy to apply and clean, plus it dries quickly. Our house’s exterior looks a bit dull because of the old paint and outdated colors. Perhaps I should hire an exterior residential painting service to make our house look great again. Thanks!