Let’s talk about the correct process for your exterior painting project.
Pressure Washing
It starts with pressure washing all the surfaces you will be painting. This is important to both clean off surface dirt and to kill mold and mildew before painting.
You should pressure wash with a mixture of water and bleach or some other chemical substituted for bleach.
Surface Preparation
The next preparation steps include:
✔ Scraping any loose peeling paint
✔ Priming bare areas on wood or metal
✔ Caulking
✔ Completing any needed wood repairs
Scraping
It’s important to scrape off loose peeling paint so that we are not painting over a surface that is going to fall off later.
Priming
It is best to use a professional primer to seal the surface of bare wood or metal before applying the finish paint.
Caulking
Extensive caulking is an essential step in painting any exterior structure.
Caulking should be done at gaps between siding boards, joints of soffit and fascia boards, and at any gaps around windows and doors.
Also, it is more than worth it to not skimp on the cost of caulk. Spend a few dollars more to use a high grade of caulk.
Wood Repairs
The exteriors of most homes or buildings need wood repairs in some areas due to wood rot.
When we do a quote on the exterior of a house or building, we visually inspect the wood including windows and doors. We list the needed repairs in our quote.
Typical repairs completed during an exterior painting project include:
✔ Replacing rotten soffit and facia
✔ Replacing rotten window trim or window sill noses
✔ Replacing rotten trim around doors
✔ Replacing rotten portions of door frames
✔ Replacing rotten siding if needed
Exterior Painting Project Done Right!
So you can see that an exterior painting project done the right way includes many steps in addition to the actual painting.
As with caulk, it’s more than worth it to use a high-grade of exterior paint such as Sherwin-Williams Resilience or Sherwin-Williams Duration. These paints provide a beautiful finish and will last many years.
Check out our blog article on exterior paint maintenance tips for the winter months. Not sure if it’s time to paint yet? Check out our summer painting checklist.
Browse our photo gallery to view some of our previous projects.