Exterior Painting Rochester, MI: Critical Prep Steps for Ultimate Results
Painting the exterior of your house in Rochester, MI, is much more than merely making the siding look better.
A good coat of paint also gives your house a protective barrier against wind and water as well as against other weather elements.
Sufficient time and money should be spent on this project to achieve high-quality and durable results.
So before you even touch your brush or mix your paint, here are some of the prep steps you need to undertake;
Choose The Right Season.
It is crucial to consider the right time if you want to do exterior painting.
If it is very cold (below 4 °C) or very warm, it can ruin the paint.
So the best time to paint your house is late spring or early autumn.
Also, remember to check the weather forecast to make sure there is no rain for the days you want to paint.
Clean The Surface Of Your House.
If you’re lucky, the only real preparation will be to clean the surface of your house.
Simply wash the walls with a water hose.
Clean the stubborn dirt with a wire brush and warm soapy water.
Alternatively, you can use a pressure washer to remove the stubborn dirt and paint stains. Just make sure that you don’t set the pressure too high.
Remember to wash from top to bottom and let the surface dry for a reasonable period before you start painting.
Remove The Old Damaged Paint.
If there is an old, damaged layer of paint on the wall, you must remove it (his includes loosely peeled or cracked paint) before you can continue.
If you fail to remove the old damaged paint, the new paint will not adhere properly to the surface.
Use a wire brush or paint spatula to remove the loose paint from the surface of your house.
You can use sandpaper (or a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood) to smooth the rough surface.
If the heavy buildup of old paint needs to be removed, you can use an electric paint remover that melts the paint and then pulls it off the wall.
Carry Out All Necessary Repairs.
Before you start painting, you should also check your house for any necessary repairs.
It may seem like extra work, but it ensures that your house looks better when you’re done painting.
Walk around the house looking for torn shingles or damaged exterior trim, rust, mold, and sticking out nails.
Also, look under the roof ledge and on the foundation wall.
Pay special attention to the areas around the windows and doors where the old seals or putty are missing and need to be replaced.
The rust must be removed, and the mold must be washed off. The torn cladding must be filled and sanded, the loose putty and the torn shingles must be replaced.
The leaky gutters and drains need to be repaired too.
Prime The Surface.
In some circumstances, you will need to apply a coat of primer on the surface before you can start painting.
The primer provides a good base for the paint and helps the paint stick longer because it allows for additional protection from the elements.
You need to apply the primer to some stressed regions of your house.
This is especially true if raw wood or bare metal is exposed or you’ve scraped off a lot of loose paint.
You also need to apply a primer the first time you paint the new siding/surface.
The Bottom Line
Any paint job is as good as the effort invested in the prep work.
Poor surface prep, for instance, can lead to premature paint bubbling, peeling, cracking, and fading.
The above steps are the most basic, but they may vary depending on the type of surface and paint you’re dealing with.
If you need professional help with your home exterior repainting project, Eason Painting can help.
We have years of experience offering residential painting services in Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI.
Call us today on 586-465-5081 for a FREE painting estimate.
You May Also Like:
6 Questions to Ask When Hiring an Interior Painter in Clinton Township, MI
6 Tips for A Perfect Interior Paint Job in Clinton Township, MI