3 Tips and Tricks You May Need for Your Next Home Exterior Painting Project

Posted on: 26 September 2018

Share

Your home's exterior painting is a lot more than just the beauty. The right type of paint, especially the lighter shades, can actually make your home more energy efficient by reflecting the sunlight and reducing the amount of heat energy your home absorbs. This will help keep your home cooler, which means your air conditioning system will only need to run for a shorter time, using less power in the process. Therefore, if you are a DIY enthusiast, small projects such as painting the exterior of your home will be an easy task. However, you will still need to follow the right procedure and use the right tools for the project to be a success. Here are some tips you will find useful.

Select the Right Type of Paint

First, make sure you buy exterior paint. It's easy to think that any type of paint will work, especially if it's your first time taking on such a project. When choosing your exterior paint, you may want to consider acrylic latex. Acrylic latex paints often consist of colour-providing pigments, binders that ensure the pigment adheres to your wall, and solvents that ensure the paint can be spread easily. Pigments and binders are often known as volume solids. Consider choosing exterior paints that have a high percentage of the volume solids. Such paints are usually high in quality and tend to have better binders that ensure durability.

Prep the Surface

Once you have the right type of paint, the next crucial step in your project will be to prep your exterior wall. Paint will not adhere to a dirty or dusty surface. Therefore, start by cleaning your walls thoroughly. Pressure cleaning should do the trick here. Look for imperfections, such as mildew, and get rid of them. For the perfect results, consider repairing all the cracks with caulks and sealers. If you are repainting the wall, make sure you remove any loose, peeling, and chipping old paint.

Time Your Project Perfectly

Outdoor temperatures and moisture levels matter regarding how well the paint cures. If moisture finds itself inside your paint, it will soon bubble and crack, which means you will have to repaint the wall. Therefore, remember to let your wall dry completely for a few days before you start the painting. Also, consider the weather. If you live in a rainy and snowy region, schedule your project for the drier and warmer seasons. If your region is hot and humid, wait until Autumn when it's drier and cooler.