Painting the exterior of your home is one of the most daunting DIY projects around. But with some planning, patience, and a little know how, this is a project that any home owner can accomplish. Like any home renovation project, we always start with a plan. Depending on the size of your house and the condition of the current paint, you’ll probably need five to seven days. It’s best to take a week or two off from work and do it all at once. Many a home owner has tried to paint just on the weekends, only to find the entire summer eaten up on this one project. If possible, try to choose a week which typically has fair weather in your area. You’re looking for sunny days with temperatures in the seventies or low eighties. Where I live that would be mid to late June, or the last few weeks of August.
You’ll need to assess how much old paint needs to be scraped off as that will determine how much primer to buy. One gallon will most likely be sufficient. Take your spouse and head off to the home renovation store to get your paint and primer. The sales person will probably give you color swatches to chose from, but be aware, the actual color of the finished product seldom matches the swatch. If you are covering up white siding, or another light color, the finished product will be lighter than the swatch. Likewise, the darker the color you are covering, the darker the finished house will look. Be sure to measure the approx length, width, and height of the house before going to the store. The sales person will need to know the square footage when recommending how much paint to buy.
Once you have the paint, the first day is spent washing the house with a power washer or a floor mop and a hose. Although it’s a lot more work, the second method is the better of the two for making sure you get all the dirt. Day two is for scraping away flaking and chipped paint, and covering the spot with primer. You may also need to prime the trim if it’s extremely weathered.
On day three you get to the actual painting. Make sure to hide your wedding rings somewhere safe, the last thing you want is to drip paint all over them. Start your painting as early in the morning as you can, because once the sun gets high it dries out the paint very quickly. Remember to start at the highest point of the house and work down. This allows you to scrape off drops or runs that might occur from above.
Day four will be either for a second coat, or for the trim. If a second coat is needed, trim will be painted on the fifth day. Second coats will typically go on faster than the first one, so you might even get half the day off! Paint the trim last, using two coats if needed. If all goes well, by the end of the week you’ll have a new look and a new sense of accomplishment. And you did it yourself!
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