I need to paint the exterior of my house. Any advice welcome!

Cafe Society
1

Well, I’m getting a book on house painting too. But hey, why not draw on the Teeming Millions’ wisdom as well?

Our house needs painting. It’s single-story, wood siding on the front, and stucco on the back (yes, it’s a tract home!), and gets a lot of very strong sunlight in the summer afternoons. I will probably be purchasing a paint sprayer.

Any advice on good paint brands, techniques, and anything else is welcome. I’m in the information-gathering stage now. It would be good to do this in the next few months, before it gets too infernally hot.

2

I suggest you obtain plenty of extra brushes, etc., and begin painting while acting like it’s the most fun thing to do ever. Then the neighborhood moms will all want to play, too, so ya pass out the extra brushes and go fishing with Huck Finn. :smiley:

3

THREE WORDS

PREPERATION, PREPARATION, PREPARATION!

Sorry about the ALL CAPS, but I can not emphasize how important preparation is in getting a good, longlasting paint job. Exterior surfaces are extremely prone to a coating of often invisible grime from both organic and inorganic pollutants. Paint simply will not stick to this stuff.

Professional Painters often get away with using very cheap brands of paint, as they are willing to do the prep work involved. Their $15 / gallon stuff will out perform the WeatherBeater 9000 (Made up name) by a long shot.

So, to prep your exterior surfaces

Day 1)

Rent, buy, beg, borrow or steal a pressure washer, use it to blast the surface twice, paying particular attention to nooks, crannies and crevases. The first time use a TSP based soap. The second wash, just as vigourous and complete as the first is clear water.

Day 2)

Let everything dry for at least 12 hours, then get out the sand paper, wire brush, filler and knock evey biut of loose paint off. It an area looks suspect, go to town with the wire brush. Fill holes, cracks and such as you go. Have pail of TSP and water, and rewash any trouble spots that you will (not may0 have missed with the presure washer. be sure to rinse those areas with clear water after. One the filled areas are completely dry, sand them. Be sure to use a filler made for exterior use in your climate zone.

Day 3)
PRIME! If you are going for a dark colour, or planning a major colour change from the existing coat, have your primer “pretinted”. Do not expect it to be as dark, or even the same hue as your top coats will be. Trust your paint store staff on this, as long as you trust they know what they are doing. Also pre prime any fillings or bare wood. Most modern primer paints dry in 2-6 hours.

Day 4)
Begin painting. again, precoat any repairs, bare wood etc, and let dry, before painting broad areas. Follow the paint can directions exactly. if it says 4-6 hours between coats, be sure and wait at least that long. Paint that “feels” dry is still off gassing its solvent/liquid content, and these substances will prevent the next coat from bonding. Avoid painting in temps about75 f or below 50 F, and especially with dark colours, avoid painting areas that are exposed to mid day sun/heat while wet, as rapid drying will prevent proper bonding.

Day 5, Clean up, and have a nice BBQ for all the friends that helped you with this really big job. I like Tuborg and Vienna Franks, myself…

Good luck

FML