When house painting in Pleasanton, you shouldn’t just paint the house. Every surface of your house must be properly and thoroughly prepared before you actually apply a coat of paint. A prepared surface ensures the paint will last longer so you don’t have to repeat the process all over again for a long period of time.
When examining the work of the professional house painter and a do-it-yourself house painter, it all boils down to preparation. This makes all the difference. Professional house painters, since they’ve been in the trade for a long time, have long known that getting things prepared properly will result in a more long-lasting and beautiful-looking paint finish. As a DIY-er, you may not exactly match the work of a true house painting professional, but you can also achieve that near-professional painting job by using the following tips.
Start your preparation work by checking your house’s surfaces for leaks and areas that are susceptible to moisture. Even though the moisture comes from interior parts of the house such as leaks from the roof or drips in the basement, they otherwise cause vapor that “blows” up the paint from the surface. This is so because the vapor exits through the pores in the exterior wood. Parts of the house such as kitchens and bathrooms are susceptible to this so make sure that these rooms are well ventilated. This is the most important step that you don’t want to miss before applying paint.
Next, check your exterior walls for damages — if they are rotting, chewed by insects, or damaged by impact. You should also check the attachments of your exterior such as nails, fasteners, and faucets to see if they’re rusting. Rust will ruin any new paint that you’re going to apply. It’s very important to repair your home’s exterior walls before you get to apply paint if you want to achieve a smooth finish.
Clean your exterior walls thoroughly. If an exterior wall is not cleaned, the paint will not stick to the surface. Such dirt that is found on the walls consists of dust, mold and mildew, spider webs, and grease. These will hamper the quality of your paint job. Wash your walls with your garden hose or with a wire brush — brushing with a wire brush is more effective because it cleans more dirt in harder-to-reach areas than a hose is able to do. You can also combine a cleaning solution or bleach to make your house exterior clean and mildew-free. You may also use a power washer as long you use it with caution; otherwise a using a power washer would damage your walls if you’re not too careful.
If you find damaged paint or paint that is old and about to peel, carefully scrape it off. Next, sand the walls to give it a smoother surface, and finally rinse the dust off with water.
If absolutely necessary, have your walls primed. It’s not always a requirement before you apply paint on your walls but if you’re in doubt, buy a good-quality primer. A primer is a paint product that will fill in the tiny cracks and therefore give your walls a more even surface. A final coat of paint will adhere much better if the surface is smooth and even.
House painting in Pleasanton will be more smooth and hassle-free if you follow these preparation instructions. Besides, well-prepared walls will enable the paint to last for a much longer period.