Mistakes to Avoid when Painting your Home’s Exterior

Summer and fall are two of the most popular times to repaint a home’s exterior. The weather tends to move the job along – sunshine, clear skies and fresh air. But that doesn’t mean that you or the company you hire to paint the outside of your house may not make mistakes. Novice painters can find they overlook important steps that will cause the paint job to fade and crack much sooner than it should. The following suggestions should help you keep your home’s exterior looking fresh and new much longer.

• Don’t forget to prime the wood! There are several reasons for priming the wood before adding paint. First, if the wood is new and has never been painted, then adding a primer is an essential first step. Also if the wood has weathered or been stripped in advance of this new paint job – prime it! Otherwise you may add several coats and find that it is soaking into the wood the same way that water soaks into a sponge.
• Don’t paint in the middle of the day! Or when it is going to rain! Or it has just rained! Listen to the weather report for what is expected over the few days that the painting is expected to occur. Try to squeeze in your painting during a time where the skies are clear, and it is neither too hot or too cold (it could cause dew to collect on the home’s exterior). Also, it is better to paint in the early hours of the day. Excessive heat can compromise the paint’s long-term viability.
• Don’t scrimp on the paint. Sure, painting your home’s exterior can be expensive and most people are looking for opportunities to cut costs. But, one place that should not be open to a budget cut is the purchase of the paint. If the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ is ever more relevant – it’s when a homeowner invests in paint. If you are looking to cut the cost of paint, ask the company if they have online discounts or other cost savings – but buy the paint that will weather the best.

Are you in the market to have your home’s exterior painted? Contact the experts at University Painters, Inc. We don’t make mistakes!