Protect Your Home’s Exterior With a Paint Job

Exterior House Painting in Connecticut

Exterior House Painting in ConnecticutA lot goes into painting the exterior of a home.  If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, here are some things you’ll want to know before you coat the first roller or dip the first brush.

Test first: Prep a small area, paint it, let it dry overnight, then apply some tape and pull it off quickly.  If paint comes off, it probably means you’ll need to strip the old paint before applying new.  The other option is to wash and scrape well, apply paint, and then be prepared to do touch-ups periodically.

Painting latex over oil-based paint is tricky.  If your home was painted with oil paint, in the long run your best bet is to strip off all the old paint.  It’s time-consuming and expensive, but you’ll end up with higher quality results.

Take the time for prep: Scaly, flaking, wet and dirty surfaces are not conducive to holding onto new paint.  Professional painters will tell you that it’s not uncommon for a complete exterior painting project to involve 80% prep and 20% actual painting.  Surfaces that will be painted need to be dry, clean and smooth.  Utilize wire brushes, scrapers and sandpaper before you even think of putting on the paint.

Lead paint: Through about 1950, many houses were painted with lead-based paint, but this toxic compound wasn’t outlawed until 1978.  If you suspect the old paint on your home contains lead, don’t attempt to remove it until you call the Environmental Protection Agency hotline at (800) 424-LEAD.

Mold: You’ll need to get rid of mold, and usually sanding and scraping alone won’t do it.  Use a bleach-based solution to kill mold, otherwise it will definitely grow through the new paint.

Water-repellant: After the exterior is fully prepped, add a coat of high-quality moisture repellant.  The product should contain a repellant, typically wax, but not too much of it, otherwise fresh paint won’t adhere.  Read labels and find one that says “3-ido-2-propynyl butylcarbamate or IPBC.”

Primer: Use an alkyd primer that has a high amount of binder to make it cling to the wood and allow the new paint to cling to it.  You can use an oil-based primer, but many of the new acrylic latex primers will do a fine job.  After priming, you can see nail holes and cracks easier and get them filled in with spackle or special latex caulk.

Protecting the surroundings: Once the exterior walls of your home are cleaned and prepped, take the time to mask windows and doors with either plastic sheets or paper designed for this purpose.  Use drop cloths (canvas is best, but plastic will be okay) over everything that you don’t want paint on, such as shrubbery, walkways, brickwork and so on.  While you’re at it, go around the entire house and trim back bushes, plants and trees so you won’t have to do it when you start work.

Exterior House Paint PrepThese are just a few of the primary things you’ll need to know when protecting your home’s exterior with a new paint job.  Exterior painting is a pretty big undertaking – very different from sprucing up a few interior rooms with fresh paint.  Many factors can affect the process of exterior painting, so it’s always a good idea to consult with an expert in paints and prep before starting the job.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions – you’ll learn a lot.

Franklin Painting of Connecticut provides full-service interior and exterior painting for homes and businesses.  If you’d like to talk with a professional about a new exterior paint job, call us at (877) 646-7774.

Franklin Painting LLC – Call us Toll Free at 877-646-7774
or at our main office number 860-678-7701
160 Brickyard Road, Farmington, CT 06032

Exterior House Painting in CT towns like farmington, ct 06032 – avon, ct 06001 – simsbury, ct 06070 – west simsbury, ct 06092 – canton, ct 06019 – burlington, ct 06013 – bloomfield, ct 06002 – unionville, ct 06085 – weatogue, ct 06089 – suffield, ct 06078 – windsor, ct 06095 – granby, ct 06035 – collinsville, ct 06022 – west hartford, ct 06110 – 06117 – 06119 – 06127 – 06133 – 06137 / bristol, ct 06010 – new britain, ct – 06050 – 06051 – 06052 – 06053 / newington, ct 06111 – wethersfield, ct 06109 – cromwell, ct 06416 – rocky hill, ct 06067- berlin, ct 06037 – kensington, ct 06037 – portland, ct 06480 – middletown, ct 06547 – meriden, ct 06450 – middlefield, ct 06455 – east hampton, ct 06424 – chesire, ct 06410 – southington, ct 06489 – glastonbury, ct 06033 – south glastonbury, ct 06073- south windsor, ct 06074 – elllington, ct – east windsor, ct 06088 – hebron, ct 06248 – marlborough, ct 06447 – manchester, ct 06040 – 06042 – 06045 – bolton, ct 06043 – colchester, ct 06415 – tolland, ct 06084 and more!

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