by Victoria Blackburn

Created on: December 20, 2008   Last Updated: April 06, 2009

One of the most important home maintenance projects is exterior painting, which, with caulking, can significantly reduce costly weather and water damage.

Typically, exterior painting is one of the most difficult and physically demanding projects that you will ever undertake. It will involve considerable time and effort, but by doing it right, you will get the best value for your money plus gain the most time before needing to repaint again.

Preparation

To achieve the best results when you paint, you must properly prepare the surface. By completing a thorough preparation, the project will be more than half done. Depending on the surface you are going to paint, preparation techniques can vary, but in general:

- If possible, use a pressure washer to remove all dirt and grime from the area to be painted.

- Scraping and sanding should be combined to remove any loose paint remaining after pressure washing. This will also smooth out and blend the area, allowing better paint coverage.

- Finally, re-caulk all the windows and trim and allow the caulk to dry before starting to paint.

Painting

Once your preparation is complete, you are ready to begin painting. One thing to note, if you are down to bare wood, you will need to prime these areas first. Only prime bare wood, the old paint is a sufficient primer on the other surfaces.

When deciding on which exterior paint to use, you should try to use the same as what is already on your house, as paint sticks best to itself. If you can't find the original paint used, at the very least determine if the paint is oil or latex. A quick and easy way to determine what type of paint was used is by running a piece of sandpaper over it. If the paint begins to roll up into little balls, it's latex, if it gets dusty and chalky, it's oil.

Once you have your paint, the quickest and easiest way to apply it is by using a sprayer. In addition, you should also use a roller to back roll the surface to ensure even paint coverage. By going back over the surface, you will reduce the likelihood of the exterior paint looking streaky when it dries. Spray and roll from the top to the bottom and from left to right to cover the walls neatly and evenly.

Ideally, two coats of good-quality exterior paint should be applied, so that the paint can last up to 8 to 10 years, instead of just four or five with only one coat. If it is not practical to apply two coats of paint to the entire house, consider it for fully exposed areas on the south and west sides, once the first coat of paint has dried.

Few home improvements can provide as great a return on investment as a fresh coat of paint. Repainting the exterior of your home can improve not only its charm, but also its resale value.

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