Tips for Painting the Exterior of your Home – The Top Layers

Painting the outside of your house is a huge job and can be a daunting task to attempt yourself. However, with the right tools and know-how you can save thousands of dollars and increase the value of your home. For a professional finish you’ll need to ensure you purchase quality paint, tools and spend time preparing the outside of your home carefully.

Here, we will discuss the final coats of paint (using Acrylic Latex as an example) for a professional and durable finish.

The Tools

You should have at least 2 top quality synthetic bristled brushes for applying Acrylic Latex paint, a straight edged one for large areas and a smaller angled edged brush for detail work. A roller can be utilised for larges areas or stucco, brick or shingles. Ensure you buy quality here also, roller covers for each colour you use, a heavy duty handle and roller screen, again purchase a wide roller for large areas and a smaller one for narrow areas. You’ll also need a few paint cans and buckets on hand.

Colours and Quantities

Choose colours that complement the features of your home and fit the characteristics of your neighbourhood. There’s tonnes of online sources that can help with ideas too. Next take measurements of your home, counting the doors/windows and noting the surface (brick, sliding etc), head to your local paint shop and ask them to assist with calculating the amount of paint you’ll need. Don’t scrimp when it comes to purchasing quality paint, it’s easier to apply, has better coverage and stands the test of time and weather.

Take Note of the Weather

• Don’t paint in direct sunlight, the paint will dry too fast and cause marks where your strokes overlap.
• Don’t paint on windy days, you can have similar issues as above with lap marks and the wind can blow dirt and grit into the drying paint.
• Check the temperature, some paint cannot be applied when it is too cold.
• Efficiency is Key
• Work from the top down.
• Paint large areas first and details last.
• When painting close to another colour, allow the colour to dry completely before painting another colour near it.

Pro Tips

• Professional painters essentially use a 2 step method
• Step 1 – get the base paint layer onto the house quickly and efficiently. Cover the surface completely without letting it run. Cover an area that’s small enough to give you time to go back and smooth it out before it dries.
• Step 2 – while the paint is still wet, spread the paint evenly onto the home, the goal here is to completely cover the previous layer of paint and primer with a smooth layer of paint.
• Using this method of 2 thin coats of paint is easier than attempting to cover your primer with one thick coat of paint, it  reduces the risk of paint running, overlap marks and sags.