Paint Your House from Prep to Finish

Does your home’s exterior need a facelift? Painting your house doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. A bit of prep work and a fresh coat of paint can restore your home’s curb appeal and make it look new once again. With the right tools and resources, you can do the job yourself and save a bundle on labor. The following guide will help get you started.

How to choose colors

There are several considerations to choosing the right colors for your home. Your street or neighborhood will be affected by the color you choose. Consider the colors of other homes on your street as you decide.

The architectural style of your house and its era also play a role in color selection. Is your house contemporary? Or a mid century? Or a 20th century craftsman home? Browse online to see what’s appropriate and appealing.
Are there exterior elements that will be difficult, costly or unnecessary to change, such as the roof? If so, choose colors complementary to those existing elements.

For the primary color of your home, as well as window trim, shutters, and doors, and the trim casing, roof casing, and railings, you can use online tools to choose colors that are complementary to each other. Many paint brands offer color visualizers where you can upload a photo to try out different paint colors and combinations. Once you’ve decided, buy a sample of each and try it out to avoid a costly mistake. You need to see the actual paint color on your real-life home to know how it will look.

Paint types

The best all-around paints are 100% acrylic resin, says Thomas Baker of This Old House. He explains that acrylic paint “remains flexible, breathable and colorfast far longer than paints made with vinyl resins or acrylic blends.”

For certain surfaces, however, oil-based paints are the better choice because of their smoothness, hardness, gloss and resistance to dirt. Doors, trim, railings, wrought iron and elements that get touched hold up better with oil-based paint.

Prep work

Before you begin painting, inspect the exterior of your house, make repairs and prep the surface. Look for and resolve the following:
• Flaking paint
• Rust on iron details
• Chalky residue called efflorescence on aluminum siding, trim and soffit
• Mold and mildew
• Deteriorated or missing caulk in windowsills and doors
• Rotted wood

Then wash the exterior to remove dust and debris. Use a hose, bucket and rags, or rent a power washer, available through most home improvement stores.

Fill any cracks and crevices between siding and trim panels with an exterior, paintable caulk. This step will give your house a professional, cohesive appearance.

Choose a primer with a vinyl sealer, so both the sealer and paint adhere better. If you’re adding a fresh coat of the same color paint, a sealer isn’t necessary.

Also, gather your paint and the tools you’ll need, including sturdy ladders, sprayers, brushes, rollers, drop cloths, plastic sheeting and painter’s tape.

Finally, just before priming or painting, tape off edges including trim, windows, doors and hardware to protect them from paint. Even with tape, paint tends to bleed through. So, run a putty knife along the edge of the tape, to ensure it is flush. If you’re using a paint sprayer, also tape up plastic sheeting to cover doors, windows, fixtures and anything you want to protect.

How to paint

Paint sprayers provide the most coverage in the shortest amount of time. Brushes and rollers are better for precision and control. Begin by applying the primer, which can be sprayed, rolled or brushed on.

After waiting the recommended time for the primer to dry, you’re ready to apply color. You can spray the siding then roll or brush the trim and doors. Another option is to spray large areas that require minimal taping off and use brushes and rollers on the front of the house and in other areas where there’s a lot of detail. Alternatively, you may want to skip spraying at all.
Carefully follow the paint’s instructions to ensure it properly adheres for lasting coverage.

Where to learn about house painting

Before you begin painting, learn how to avoid mistakes and discover time-saving tips. The following resources may be helpful:
• Check home improvement stores to see if they offer any workshops.
• Visit your library, bookstore or hardware store for a book on exterior painting.
• Look for articles online, particularly those that address the specific type of siding on your home.
• Watch YouTube videos to understand how to properly tape off, use a paint sprayer and other steps.