How to Paint the Exterior of Your House

Painting the exterior of your house may sound like a big job, but it can go surprisingly fast, especially if you’re using a sprayer. So, if your house needs a new paint job consider doing it yourself.

Each house is unique and there are a number of different types of surfaces you might be dealing with. Here are some things to consider for each surface.

New Wood Siding: If you’re dealing with new wood siding you’re going to want to coat it as soon as possible. You’ll need a coat of primer, plus 2-3 coats of paint or stain. If you have bare redwood and cedar consider applying an alkyd primer-sealer before apply a latex topcoat.

Rough Lumber: If you have rough lumber you’ll want to use an airless sprayer. Just be sure to brush the finish after you apply it. Also, remember to backbrush. This gets paint into areas that a sprayer or roller can’t.

New Smooth Wood: This surface generally doesn’t accept stain well. If you’re dealing with smooth wood sand off the mill glaze with 100-grit paper before staining or painting. If you don’t feel like sanding just let the siding weather for six months to a year.

Hardwood Siding:  For previously painted hardwood siding, start by cleaning and repairing the siding. Then use an alkyd primer to prime any areas where you removed the existing finish. After that, start painting!

Aluminum Siding: This surface is a lot less maintenance than wood, but the finish will eventually fade. If you’re not changing the colour you can try cleaning the siding with a wood cleaning product. You can also use a paint conditioning product. This will usually bring the paint back to its previous glory without having to repaint. If it doesn’t work the paint conditioning product will provide a great base for a new paint job.

For more tips on painting your house, click here.