Hiring painting services is the best way to ensure your home’s exterior paint job is done the correct way. Painting the exterior of a house isn’t a simple task. It takes a lot of hard work and experience to be sure that the outcome is the result you’re looking for.

However, even with hiring a professional painting service there are things you should do. The job could be done much better if proper painting preparations are done before the professionals arrive on the scene. If you don’t prep your house for the paint job, then you might not get the best results possible. The professionals will still be able to complete a great job. However, the results could be excellent if you follow proper preparation steps.

Not sure what all is required of you to prep your house for exterior paint? Continue reading below for our step-by-step guide on how to prepare your home for painting the exterior.

Wash the Exterior

The first step to preparing your home is to wash the exterior. You’ll want to wash the entire exterior of your house from top to bottom. Use a pressure washer to ensure the job is done well.

Using a pressure washer will also save you a lot of time. You can rent a pressure washer from your local hardware store, and you don’t have to worry about using any additives such as cleaning products. Water alone is enough to clean the exterior of your house well for paint.

If your house has mold growth on the exterior, then using a cleaning product in the pressure washer is advised. If using a cleaning product, be sure to rinse your exterior walls thoroughly before letting it dry. There will be instructions on the pressure washer or cleaning products to help you throughout the process.

A good cleaning of your home’s exterior will leave a clean and smooth surface for the new paint to stick to. Once done, allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before moving forward.

Remove Paint Flakes and Dry

Once the paint has had enough time to dry completely, you should then look over the exterior for any paint flakes. Any flaking paint should be scraped off. To do so, use a standard paint scraper or a wire brush.

This step might be a bit tedious, but it’s necessary. Failing to remove any flaking paint will cause the new paint job to not adhere properly. Remember to wait until the paint has had at least 24 hours to dry after washing it before completing this step.

If you try to scrape paint flakes off while the paint is still wet, it might cause more flaking to happen.

Make Repairs

After washing the exterior and scraping off paint flakes, you should then make any necessary repairs. Look for any rotted areas or areas growing with mold. If possible to fix at home, then do so upon finding the problem.

You might find that you need to repair or re-putty windows. Otherwise, be sure to call in a handyman to help you repair any issues before having the professional painters come in. Just be sure that all repairs are dry and settled before having the painters come in.

Apply Caulking

Any cracks that you find that aren’t supposed to be there can be caulked. Just make sure not to fill in any gaps with caulking that’s supposed to be there. For the cracks that need to be filled in, take your caulking and fill the cracks until the caulking overflows past the crack.

You’ll then need to wipe it clean and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours. Be sure to remove any old caulking that’s peeling or drying up. Don’t try to apply new caulk over old caulk.

Trim Trees

While the caulking is drying, there are a few other steps you can take to ensure you receive the best paint results. Take the time to trim and landscape all trees, bushes, and other plants that are nearby your home’s exterior walls. Doing so will give your painters enough space to move around and get the job done to the best of their abilities.

Your painters will also appreciate not having to fight branches and thorns while trying to get the job done. Another great reason to trim all nearby plants and trees is to help prevent any foliage from falling and getting stuck into the fresh wet paint. Once you get your trimming done, be sure to head inside and grab a few old sheets.

You’ll want to cover all bushes, flower beds, gardens, walkways, lawns, and sidewalks. This will keep paint from falling onto them and possibly ruining them. If you have a shrub located directly next to your home’s exterior wall, you can wrap it up in a sheet and tie it tight to prevent it from rubbing up against the wall.

Know Your Painting Preparations for the Best Results!

Even the best paint jobs will need to be redone over the years. If your house is in need of a new paint job, then you’ll want to do some painting preparations before having the professionals arrive on the scene. This is the only way you can get the ultimate exterior paint results.

Now that you know how to prepare your house for a new paint job, you can give yourself enough time to follow these steps above and then contact us to see how we can help you in the Miami-Dade area!