How to Prepare Your Home Exterior for Painting

You know you need to repaint your home periodically. There’s more to painting the exterior of your home than simply opening paint, stirring, and putting the color on the walls. You must prep your surfaces first. It may seem tedious, but proper prep work will help the paint adhere to the house’s walls. 

There are basic steps for prepping any surface, and there are also specific steps for prepping depending on the kind of exterior surface you have. This guide will help you prepare your home exterior for painting. 

General Tips for Preparing Your Exterior for Paint

Before preparing the house itself, you should prep the general area. Start by moving anything near the house like grills, patio furniture, and trash cans. If you have exterior outlets or water fixtures, cover them with drop cloths and tape them with painter’s tape. 

You should prep your landscaping as well. Most people don’t want to paint their flowers. Trim back any overgrowth and then cover your landscaping with drop cloths. 

How to Prepare Your Home Siding Exterior for Painting

The method for preparing your siding exterior for painting varies slightly depending on the kind of siding you have.

Masonite

Masonite is difficult to sand, so you should power wash it and then let it dry thoroughly. This takes 3-5 days. After it has dried, check for peeling paint. Gently scrape any peeling, cracking, or bubbling paint off with a putty knife. Mask off everything that doesn’t need paint, and then prime with a stain-blocking primer. 

The day after priming, you can caulk. A day after caulking, you are finally ready to paint! Apply your first coat, allow it to dry for four-six hours, and then apply your second coat. 

Aluminum

Aluminum siding isn’t that difficult to prep for painting, all things considered. It’s basically a three-step process. The first step is to check the siding for mildew or powdery paint pigments. You can use a dry cloth and rub across the siding to see if you rub any paint off. 

The second step is to clean the siding. This can be done in one of three ways: use a cleaning solution and a sponge, use a pressure washer, or use an orbital sander with a 100-grit abrasive disk. The third step is to prime and paint using acrylic primer and acrylic topcoat paint. 

Vinyl

Like other sidings, you should clean vinyl siding thoroughly before painting. Choose a paint for your vinyl siding that contains urethane resins and acrylic. Paint with these ingredients works better for vinyl because it accommodates the contraction and expansion of the siding. 

After cleaning the siding, allow it to dry thoroughly and apply primer. After the primer dries, apply two coats of paint in the color of your choice. 

How to Prepare Your Brick for Painting

Have you ever been told you can’t change a brick exterior or that you’re stuck with the color of your brick? The truth is that brick is not as difficult as you might think to paint. The first step to painting brick is to thoroughly wash the surface with soapy water and a wire brush. Then, check for cracks or structural issues with the brick.

Apply a good quality acrylic paint or preferably brick stain can be applied directly to the surface. 

How to Prepare Your Stucco for Painting

Some people think that stucco is stucco, and you can’t change the color. The truth is that stucco can be painted too. Just as with any other exterior material, you should clean the walls first.

Prepping stucco after washing involves inspecting for cracks and holes, then patching them with acrylic caulk. Large places may require a stucco patch. Repair any gutter leaks and caulk around windows and doors before painting. Then use a flat acrylic latex paint to paint your stucco—this may take several coats depending on the porousity of the stucco. 

The Takeaway

Updating your home’s exterior can be as simple as adding a new coat of paint. Follow the tips for prepping, priming, and painting your home based on the exterior material, and you will have your home looking as good as new in no time!

FYI – Don’t Panic! If your project is a little bigger than expected after you start our professional team at Elite Trade Painting can get the project done quickly.