Painting your house’s exterior is one of those things that you can do on your own. You don’t need prior experience to do a good job at repainting your home and giving it a fresher look. However, you need to prepare yourself for the amount of work that needs to be done. Do you have enough time to do it? Are you fit enough to climb a ladder and balance yourself while holding a paintbrush or roller?
There are many types of industrial concrete coatings that you can apply on your home’s exterior. You can choose between acrylic paint or polymer-based coating or a decorative textured coating. While there are many options that you can choose from in terms of the final look of your home’s exterior, here are the most important tips that you need to remember for this DIY project:
Set the Dates Correctly
If you are going to repaint your walls, you have to do it during summer or dry season. Repainting during rainy days or when it’s humid can ruin your walls. Not only do the walls take twice the amount of time to dry and be ready for a second coating, but there could also be paint drippings that will look ugly and visually annoying. If you really have to paint during humid days, work with slow-drying paint and be patient before applying the second coat.
Pressure-wash the Walls
This is an important step that unfortunately many homeowners forego when repainting their walls. You have to pressure-wash your home’s exterior walls to remove dirt, grime, and dust buildup. Using a pressure washer, work your way from top to bottom. Just be careful when climbing up and down the ladder while holding the washer. This is also the perfect time to inspect any cracks in the walls and peel off loose or damaged paint.
Repair Damaged Surface
Once you have thoroughly washed and dried the walls, you can repair any cracks or holes that have appeared over time. You can use an epoxy filler to fill up the holes. After filling the holes and cracks, use sandpaper or sanding block to smoothen that part of the surface.
Cover Anything You Don’t Want to Be Painted
Prepare your walls for a repaint by covering anything that you don’t want to be painted. No matter how careful you are with applying the paint, accidents happen all the time. You might find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time cleaning up drips on materials and part of the walls that you should have covered in the first place. Use plastic to cover your windows and painter’s tape to protect the area where your walls and ceiling connect.
Purchase Quality Paint, Brushes, and Rollers
Invest in high-quality paint, brushes, and rollers from brands that you trust. Good quality paint sticks to the walls like glue. They have a beautiful finish, too, and quick-drying, regardless of the weather. You may also want to invest in odorless paint so that you won’t have to breathe in the sometimes suffocating smell of paint.
Painting your exterior walls on your own saves a lot of money. You can cut in half the cost of the repainting job by simply learning a few basics. These tips are designed to help you paint your exterior walls like a professional.
