Your home is a reflection of who you are as a person. It’s your castle; it’s where you eat, drink, sleep, bathe, live--your home is where you do a million and one things, so it’s only natural that you would want it in pristine condition. A fresh new coat of paint can mean a world of difference to the exterior of your house, but sometimes, people looking to paint their home are overwhelmed just with the thought of taking on such a project.

After all, you are painting an entire house. You probably have countless questions too. Where do I start? What kind of paint should I use? Do I have to do anything before I start painting? The questions alone can make the project more intimidating than it actually is, but with these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll have a beautifully painted home in no time.

Preparing your home

Before you can even think of opening a can of paint, you need to prepare your house.

Properly prepping your surfaces is the key to a clean and professional-looking paint job. Start by thoroughly pressure washing your house; this process should rid your house of any dirt or grime that it has accumulated through the years. It is possible to get your work surface clean through other means, but it’s easier and more efficient to power wash. Some benefits pressure washing offer to your home include allowing the paint to adhere better to the surface in addition to extending the lifespan of the applied coating system.

Other steps that should be taken to properly prep your home include removing any loose paint, priming the surface, caulking the trim, and covering doors and windows with tape. Ridding your home’s exterior surface of loose paint will give you a clean, even surface to work with, which will ultimately have a positive effect on your outcome. Examine your home’s exterior to locate any loose or chipped paint and debris and, with a scraper or sanding block, remove the obstruction from the space.

When caulking the trim, be sure to prime before you start, as priming will make cracks and other joints that need to be filled more visible. Additionally, because primer contains high resin content, it’s important that you apply it over older coatings.

By caulking, you eliminate the likelihood of moisture gathering in your walls, compromising the quality of any coating applications. Pay special attention to window frames, molding and fascia boards, and doorframes. If you have any wood, and the wood is rotting, repair the boards before you do anything else.

After caulking the joints, the only thing you have left to do before painting is to cover up anything that you don’t want painted over. This includes doors, windows, and lights.

Painting
Next, you’ve arrived at the main event: painting.

It is very important to note that the type of paint that you use matters. The type of materials that you paint your house with matter, so always go for higher quality, durable materials. Additionally, you should always pay attention to forecast if you’re planning on painting your home. Climates that are too cold or too humid will negatively impact your paintjob, as the coatings will not be able to adhere to the surface properly.

Be careful with colors as well, and remember that gloss and color retention is just as important as ease of application and coating durability. If you select a vibrant shade for your home, which is constantly exposed to UV radiation, water, and salt, you will be reapplying that particular color every 3-4 years because vibrant shades fade quickly.

Flat, eggshell, and satin finishes are most ideal for the exterior of a house. Flat finishes perform best on older houses, while satin and eggshell do well with newer homes.

The final step to painting your home is to paint the decorative accents; doors, shutters, window frames, etc. The best type of paint for these final touches would be paints with a semigloss finish. Semigloss paints help accentuate and highlight the accents on the home and are very easy to clean.