Every house will need a new coat of paint on the exterior at some point, and getting the house ready to paint is sometimes more important than painting the house. If the preparation is not done right, the paint will not look as good as it should, and you may have to repaint again sooner than you want to. 

Prepare the Yard First

Before any work begins on the outside of the house, there are some things you may want to do, and that your painter may not take care of for you. Start by covering bushes or plants near the home with lightweight plastic sheeting. The plastic will protect your plants during the scraping process, as well as keep paint off of them once the painting begins.

A clear sheeting is the best option as it allows the plants to get the sun they need, but make sure the sheeting is light enough that it does not put a lot of pressure on the plants. It should be lightly draped over the plants, and if you are concerned about damage, you may want to add something under the plastic to support it and not allow it to sit directly on the plants.

Remove Chipping or Old Paint 

It is essential to scrape any chipping paint of the house before you paint. Any loose paint on the house may come off after the new paint is on the house, leaving spots with no paint on the siding. If you are hiring exterior painters to paint the house for you, make sure that they include prep work in the quote they give you because the preparation is not a step you want them to skip.

The painting crew will add an exterior primer to all the areas of the house that have bare wood, but most of the time, painting over the old paint provides a base for the new paint. If your home has never had paint on it, priming the entire house is required to seal the wood siding and create a base for the new paint.

Paint Colors and Types

Most modern paint is a water-based latex and is durable enough to last for many years. The color options are nearly unlimited, and most paint suppliers will mix the paint for you if you ask.

If you are using a custom color on the exterior of your home, make sure you keep the lid off one can with the mixing information on it. The paint supplier will need this information if you need more paint or want to buy some touch-up paint down the road.