4 Tips for Painting Your Home’s Exterior

Most homeowners turn to professional painters when updating their home’s exterior. However, with the right know-how and proper equipment, painting your home is easy and, let’s face it, more affordable.

Homeowners who want to ‘DIY’ the job should consider these 4 tips:

1. Consider the Type of Paint

Painting your home requires paint that’s thick and durable. So, you should choose between the two types of paint used for exterior surfaces: latex and oil-based paint.  These paints are water-resistant, long-lasting, and are a great way to guarantee the house’s exterior stays fresh for years to come.  Expect latex paint to dry quickly, be applied easily, and resist direct sunlight and age. Acrylic latex is higher-quality latex paint.  Each paint product’s instructions vary, so check the label for information on application and special considerations.

2. Measure the Square Footage

Painting the outside of a home requires far more paint than is needed to cover the walls of a single room in the house.  For this reason, you need to measure the house before buying the paint. You can determine the home’s square footage by multiplying its width, in feet, by its height. Measurements of leftover paint can be used to cover the railing, steps, porches and similar elements that aren’t included in the initial calculations.  It can also be useful to hang onto the extra paint for touch-ups after the painting job is done.  The doors and windows won’t need to be subtracted as this will leave room for leftover paint.

3. Choose Your Colors

Most homeowners have free reign when it comes to choosing their paint colors. However, those who belong to a homeowners association must double-check the rules to determine if there are specific colors they have to use when painting the home.  If this isn’t the case, consider using a fresh coat of your home’s current color or choose something different and new. While neutral colors are generally recommended, a primary color with a deeper greyscale value can match any home while giving a certain flair.

4. Pick the Right Equipment

While choosing the right equipment for the job can seem intimidating, just consider the home’s size and take it from there.  For small, one-story homes, you may just need a paint sprayer to cut back painting time.  For larger homes, you may need to rent an aerial lift. Boom lifts make it easier to reach every nook and cranny of the house.  Your home doesn’t need the expertise of a professional paint crew for it to look like it was professionally painted.

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