3 Things You Need To Do Before Painting Your Exterior

We’re coming into Australia’s summer very soon, and it’s a great time to repaint the house! With longer days and the sun shining, a lot of homeowners will be repainting their exterior. If you’re going to do the work yourself rather than looking for painting services in Sydney, you probably already know that preparation is one of the most important parts of the process. There are various things you need to do before even picking up the paintbrush to ensure you get the best finish possible. Here are three of the most important:

1. Cleaning 

One of the most underrated aspects of any paint job, particularly for exterior work, is cleaning. The outside of your home collects all kinds of different materials, whether it be a build-up of dust and dirt, grime or even moss in some cases. Painting on even a slightly unclean surface is ultimately going to be a waste of your time and hard work.

The first step is simply to take to your house exterior with a sponge and some warm soapy water, scrubbing to remove that dirt and grime. Mould that may be present will require a little more work, as you may need to get bleach involved. Many painting service providers will use a high pressure cleaner to get the best results, so if you happen to have access to one, now’s the time to use it!

2. Sanding & Filling 

This is particularly important if you’re repainting a surface that is in bad condition. But even if it’s fairly smooth and without too much peeling or cracking, it’s worth giving the surface a light sand. This essentially has the effect of balancing out the wall so that your paint brush can glide along it and apply paint smoothly. An uneven surface is not ideal to paint on, as you’ll likely wind up with certain spots having more paint applied than others.

Surfaces in worse shape may have holes and cracks here and there. That’s why you’ll need to use a body filler to fill in those gaps and again, create as much of a consistent surface as possible. You can buy a filler solution at any hardware store fairly cheaply, whether it’s powder based, which you use when combined with water, or decorators caulk, which is for around frames and trim and cannot be rubbed down.

3. Priming

Priming is highly recommend for nearly all paint jobs and even more so if you’re going with a new colour. Some outdoor surfaces such as timber for instance, can provide the level of adhesion required for the paint to spread evenly. Forget to prime when painting your exterior and you run the risk of ending up with a patchy, unsightly finish. If you’re painting over another colour, you may see this shade through the new colour unless you add at least a couple of primer coats.

How you go about this will depend on the surface you’re painting on. Different speciality primers are available for timber, concrete, plaster or metal for example, so make sure you use one that is specifically formulated for the kind of surface you’re working with.

In addition to these three things, remember to plan your paint job from the get go. Schedule a nice day to get the work done and keep in mind that unless you’re a professional, it will probably take you longer than you think, particularly when you take into account all the prep work. You can always give Premier Painting a call if you have any questions or want us to take on the job for you ourselves. Good luck painting your exterior this summer!