To ensure successful exterior house painting in Concord, you must do the proper prep work. It will take some time, but believe us, the effort will be definitely worth it! Here are the five important steps you’ll want to follow:
- A clean surface is the key to every successful painting job. Wash the entire exterior with just soap and water if the dirt isn’t that all stubborn. You may want to use a power washer. This will speed up the work and make sure that you will get clean walls. For more intensive cleaning, have a cleaning solution which consists of water, bleach, and trisodium phosphate (TSP). Not only will this solution clean your walls but it will also kill mold and mildew and help prevent them from growing. Make sure that you clean all the dirt, grease, grime and anything that will weaken paint adhesion. Let the surface completely dry, particularly if the underlying material is made of wood, which will soak up much of the water.
- If there is peeling, cracking or blistering old paint, scrape it. Then sand the surface to make it smooth again. It takes time and effort to scrape old peeling paint and sanding it off, but you’ll be glad you did. If you apply a new paint on the peeling old paint, you’re only making it worse as the new paint will just peel off with the old.
- If you spot any surface flaws like cracks, holes, or fissures, repair them by applying a spackling paste that will cover the flaws. You should also check doors and window frames, trim, and any other edges where cracks may have occurred but may have otherwise been overlooked. After the flaws have been covered with spackling paste (or caulk), let it dry completely, and then sand it off to ensure of a smoother surface. Drying time may depend on the brand of the spackling paste or caulk so be sure to check the label instructions.
- Mask — in two different senses. The first mask you want to use is to have masking tape or painters tape to tape off trim, door and window frames, or any other area you don’t want the paint to touch. Make sure that you press the tape down firmly so that it won’t seep under it. The other “mask” is wearing a face mask to protect your nose and lungs from the dust and scrapings you’ll find while preparing the surface.
- Use a fine-quality primer to prime the walls. This may be optional, but priming helps seal the wall and prepare it to receive paint well. Plus it will block stains as well as give the topcoat a consistent color. You may also buy self-priming paints to help you save time and effort.
Following these steps will ensure you of a successful job of doing house painting in Concord. You may consult professional paint contractors for other prep ideas to make your results great and professional-looking.