Exterior Painting Techniques and Tips –

Overview of Exterior House Paint

Painting your home’s exterior is a major undertaking. However, the benefits outweigh the risks. Alex Trend Painters claims that for a small investment in tools and materials, you can save thousands of dollars, extend the life of your siding and trim, and raise the value of your home. Most importantly, you’ll restore it to its former glory.

While you may spend a significant amount on equipment and paint, a professional might easily charge several times more for the same task. However, the savings come at a price. A successful paint job necessitates several hours of meticulous paint preparation on the exterior. Even a medium-sized house will take a whole summer to prepare and paint.

We’ll teach you how to apply the final coats of paint (we chose acrylic latex) for a long-lasting, professional-looking finish in this post. Preparation is a different issue that will be discussed in future articles.

More than patience and perseverance are required to complete a high-quality exterior paint job. To paint clean, straight lines, you’ll need a keen eye, a steady hand, and some practise. You’ll also need the power to move and put up big ladders, as well as the courage to work from them once they’re up.

Key Exterior House Painting

You can accomplish a professional-quality painting job if you master these three exterior house painting techniques.

Purchase high-quality painting supplies.

Apart from what you’ve previously gathered for scraping and priming, topcoats (the last coats of paint) don’t require much equipment. For applying the latex paint, we recommend purchasing at least two high-quality synthetic-bristle brushes: one 4-inch straight-bristled brush for broad areas and a 1-1/2-inch angled sash brush for precise work.

Buy a roller system that includes a heavy-duty roller cage (this is the handle portion); top-quality 1/2-in. nap roller covers, one for each colour (you’ll wash and reuse them); and a roller screen for applying paint to big expanses of shingles, stucco, or brick. Large, flat surfaces are best served by standard 9-in. rollers. If your home has rolling siding or other narrow spots, use the 7-inch size. A couple clean 1-gallon paint cans and a clean 5-gallon bucket are also required. Having a boom box on hand when painting a house could just save your sanity.

Brushing method in three steps

Fill the brush with water.

Dip about 2 inches of the brush’s bristles into the paint to load it. To remove extra paint, slap the brush against the can’s sides once or twice. Paint from a bucket with 2 or 3 inches of paint in the bottom rather than a full can of paint.

Paint stores may assist with colour selection and quantity.

The first step to a perfect paint job is choosing exterior paint colours that match your house’s architectural characteristics and fit the character of your neighbourhood. Look for literature on the subject in bookshops and libraries. At the paint store, you’ll discover booklets with collections of antique hues. Many paint companies offer in-house designers who can assist you with colour selection, or you may employ a designer or architect. If you’re painting wood siding or anything different, let them know.

Purchase a quart of each colour you’ve chosen and paint the complete colour scheme on a tiny part of your house before committing to gallons. Change the colours and try again if you don’t like the results.

After that, take some approximate dimensions of your home, noting the kind of siding, such as stucco, cedar shingles, or smooth siding. Count how many doors and windows there are. Paint store personnel can use this information to assist you calculate the amount of paint you’ll need. Over the primer, you’ll want to apply two coats of acrylic latex paint.

Purchase the highest-quality paint you can afford. Paint that is of higher quality is easier to apply, covers better, and lasts longer. Paint with a modest shine, such as satin or eggshell, is recommended. It resists fading and is simpler to clean than flat paint.

Using a roller

Fill the roller with water.

In a clean 5-gallon bucket, pour roughly a gallon of paint and hang a roller screen in the bucket. Fill the roller with paint and roll it against the screen until the nap is saturated and any extra paint has been squeezed out.

Check the weather forecast.

• Painting in direct sunlight is not a good idea. The heat dries the paint too quickly, leaving lap marks practically hard to avoid. Blisters and peeling are possible side effects.
• On severely windy days, avoid painting. The wind speeds up the drying of paint and can blow dirt into wet paint.
• If the temperature is below 50 degrees F, use latex paint that has been specially designed for use in cold weather. To be sure, check the label.
• When there’s a risk of rain, don’t paint.

Avoid the following issues.

Painting over dried paint—in essence, adding another coat—causes lap marks, which appear as darker regions. Work rapidly and in tiny parts to avoid lap lines, keeping the previously painted area wet until you can brush the newly applied paint into it. If lap markings appear in the first coat, the second coat will most likely cover them.

Brush markings at the start and finish of a brush stroke are a typical issue that may be easily avoided. Every brush stroke should begin in an unfinished region, along a border, or against the door or window trim. Then, in the same motion, brush toward the finished area and sweep the brush up and off the work. When you stop the brush and then remove it off or place it on a finished area to begin the stroke, additional paint is left behind, which appears as a brush mark or darker spot.

Constant monitoring is the greatest way to avoid drips, runs, and sags. Check your work frequently as you proceed, giving specific attention to interior corners and edges where paint is prone to pile up and run. Brush out the run if the paint hasn’t started to dry. Allow the run to dry fully if not. After that, sand it down with 100-grit paper and retouch the area with new paint.

Exterior House Painting Techniques with Cut-ins

Cut in from the side.

Fill the brush with paint and carefully wiggle the brush’s tip into the inside corner. Then, for about 4 inches, pull it out and along one edge.

Make a strategy to maximise efficiency.

In general, start at the top and work your way down. Large areas should be painted first, followed by details. Allow time for the first colour to dry before applying the second colour where the two colours meet. Paint the window sash (the moveable component) first thing in the morning, then return later in the day to paint the frame surrounding the sash.

These skills will help you paint like a master.

Understanding the method used by the experts might help you enhance your painting talents. They divide the painting procedure into two stages.

The first phase, referred to as “laying on” the paint, is to get the paint onto the surface as quickly and efficiently as possible. You don’t need to bother about smoothing things out just yet. Apply enough paint to cover the surface without forming runs using a brush, roller, or sprayer. Cover a small enough area so you can go back and smooth it up before the paint dries. You’ll have to experiment as you start painting to get a sense for how vast an area you can safely cover before returning to smooth it out, because heat, humidity, and the type of paint you’re using all affect drying time. Spending too much time and effort putting on the paint is the most typical error made by new painters. Only a few fast strokes are required. After that, refill the bushes and go on to the next region to cover.

After you’ve covered a little area, move on to step two, which is to lay off the paint. Start by spreading the paint evenly throughout the surface with your brush, then finish with long, continuous brush strokes. The idea is to use a smooth, uniform coat of paint to completely cover (but not necessarily hide) the preceding layer of paint or primer. This stage must be completed as soon as the paint is applied and before it begins to dry.

You could be wondering how to detect if you’re painting thickly enough. Regrettably, there isn’t a precise formula. In general, it’s easier to cover the primer with two thin coats than it is to cover it with one thick coat of paint. Thin coats dry faster and don’t produce issues like runs, sags, or paint buildup that come with thicker layers of paint. The idea is to get just enough paint on the surface to allow the brush to glide smoothly without forming runs or sags.

Technique for painting on doors

Paint the door panels first.

Paint the panels first, making sure to get into the corners. Long strokes in the direction of the wood grain can smooth out the paint.

Overpaint a wet edge.

One of the most crucial methods in painting is maintaining a wet edge. Simply simply, attempt to brush or roll back into still-wet paint whenever possible. The end outcome will be a smooth, consistent layer of paint. This work becomes more challenging as the area you’re painting grows larger. To separate huge spaces into manageable bits, use natural breaks like door and window casings or siding courses. Then, without pausing, finish each segment. Paint three or four courses of siding, for example, from one end to the other. Then repeat the process with the remaining four courses.

Time-saving suggestions

On the casing edges, use the siding colour.

The margins of window and door casings should be painted the same colour as the siding. From the street, it looks excellent and will save you a lot of time.

• To keep your arms from moving and the paint from leaking, keep the paint can near to the surface you’re painting.
• You should be able to paint with either hand, especially if you’re working from a ladder. It extends your reach by two times.
• Early in the day, paint your doors and windows so you can close them at night.
• When you’re through painting, label the lid with the date, location, and formula or name of each paint colour. The paint should then be kept somewhere it won’t freeze.

It takes time to get the hang of cutting in.

Painting job completed

Paying attention to the smallest details results in a beautiful painting work that will last for years.

Another painting technique worth understanding is painting a straight line, sometimes known as “cutting in a line.” Start by wiping extra paint off the brush onto the object you’re painting or laying it off on the edge of the container. Then, with the bristles edgewise, hold the brush like a pencil and stroke down along the line. Sweep the brush away from the line if too much paint builds up behind the bristles and threatens to spill across the line. Return to the top of the stroke and draw down once more, bringing the paint closer to the line. Carry on in this manner until you’ve cut all the way through the line.

Your paint work should last at least 10 years if you take the time to properly clean and prepare the surfaces, as well as meticulously prime, caulk, and paint with high-quality materials. Annual maintenance, according to the painting professionals we spoke with, is the greatest method to extend the life of your paint work and maintain the structure. Every year, conduct a thorough inspection of your home. If necessary, use binoculars. After that, scrape, sand, prime, caulk, and touch up any peeling or cracked paint. At the very least, the fresh paint will prevent future damage and allow you to postpone that large paint work for several years.

This Exterior House Painting Project’s Required Tools

Before you begin this DIY project, make sure you have all of the required equipment on hand. This will save you time and hassle.

• Ladder with an extension
• Roller for painting
• Tray for painting
• Paintbrush
• Rags
• Sleeve with rollers

Tape for painting

You should also have a ladder stabiliser and a roller screen.

This Exterior Painting Project Will Require the Following Materials

By having all of your supplies ready ahead of time, you can avoid last-minute buying visits. The following is a list of

• 1-gallon and 5-gallon containers on hand
• Paint