A good exterior paint job can significantly boost curb appeal. However, it is not cheap. Color choice, sheen, and surface preparation all affect the cost of house painting.
For example, flat or matte paints are less expensive because they don’t reflect the sun’s rays which highlight bumps and imperfections.
Substrate
The surface that is painted protects a house from the elements, so it must hold up under normal environmental conditions. The most common substrates include wood, vinyl, brick, aluminum and concrete. Many paints claim that they will work on all these surfaces, but the chemistry of each substrate must be taken into account.
A specialized primer is often needed to get the best results. For instance, when painting fiber-cement siding, a masonry primer like Sherwin-Williams Loxon Masonry Primer helps to fortify the surface’s mildew and efflorescence resistance. This primer will also provide a good base for the finish coat to adhere to.
One of the most common problems is peeling paint. This occurs when moisture migrates through the paint film to the substrate. It can be caused by frontal moisture or moisture that is trapped between the paint and substrate (intercoat peeling). To prevent peeling, pressure clean the surface before repainting. Scrape away old peeling paint and feather-sand areas where required.
Another common problem is sagging. This happens when the paint is thick and heavy or was applied in poor weather conditions. To prevent sagging, apply the primer in thin coats, and use an exterior acrylic latex topcoat. This type of product resists the sun’s UV rays, has excellent expansion and contraction characteristics, and is easier to wipe clean than alkyd or conventional oil-based products.
Preparation
A fresh coat of paint is a quick way to transform the look of your home. It can also add value to your property and help protect it from the elements. Choosing the right color and ensuring proper preparation will ensure your paint job looks great and lasts for years.
A great exterior paint job can help your home stand out in a neighborhood and make it more welcoming to visitors. It can also be a powerful selling point for your home when it comes time to sell.
In order for a new coat of paint to last, it needs to be applied over a clean surface. This is why the bulk of work involved in an exterior painting project happens before the painter ever sets foot on your building.
This includes a thorough cleaning with a power washer, scraping loose and flaking paint and sanding the edges of remaining paint. Skipping this step can lead to your freshly painted home quickly developing unsightly “divot” areas.
Moisture is another factor that can shorten the life of your exterior paint. Rain, dew and snow on the surface and vapor and condensation from the inside can penetrate through your paint and cause moisture blisters and peeling. Moisture blisters are a lot harder to repair than temperature blisters and can go through all layers of your paint down to the wood.
Primer
The primer used for a house painting exterior coating is a high-quality paint that acts as the foundation for your finish coats (also known as top coats). The primer is tinted toward your final paint color so that it can hide darker stains and other imperfections. Primer also helps prevent moisture from getting into cracks and other imperfections in the surface, protecting it against deterioration.
The use of a good quality primer is especially important if you’re repainting an existing surface. If you attempt to paint directly over a badly chipping or peeling old paint job, the new layer of paint won’t last long and will quickly peal away again. Using a quality primer before applying your new top coat will ensure that the new paint sticks and stays in place.
There are different types of primers depending on the type of surface you’re working with. Some primers contain mildewcides and UV inhibitors, while others are specifically formulated to handle surfaces like vinyl or aluminum siding, concrete, brick, stucco or corroded metals. If you’re painting cedar or redwood, a stain blocking primer may be necessary to keep tannin stains from bleeding through the new coat of paint.
In short, a primer is vital to any quality painting project. It enables the paint to adhere more strongly to the surface, fills pinholes and other imperfections, smooths uneven surfaces, and helps the new paint resist moisture that can cause peeling.
Top Coat
As the name suggests top coat paint is the colored finishing paint that gives the finished product its color. It is generally applied over an underlying base coat or primer paint. The two must be compatible, or they will react and the finish will be compromised. It is important to use the right top coat paint for the surface that you are working on. For example, a clear top coat is usually used on wood surfaces while a solid color may be best for concrete or brickwork.
Exterior painting has two major functions; it makes your home look beautiful and protects your most valuable asset. It must withstand the stresses of rain, sun, UV rays, and physical wear. A high-quality, low-sheen exterior paint holds up to these demands, and will last a long time if it is applied properly by a professional in two coats.
When choosing an exterior paint color, consider the fixed colors of your house, such as the brown hue of the brick, or green highlight on the stonework. This will help your new color complement the existing colors and look more natural.
If you want your new exterior paint job to hold up well, prepare the surface by washing it before painting. Pressure washing your house helps the new coatings to adhere to the surface and resist peeling over time. In addition, cleaning removes organic material like mildew and dirt that can eat away at the newly painted surface.