Outdoor Painting And Sprucing Up Techniques

By Matthew Budd

If you are thinking of exterior painting and decorating this spring, you may need a little bit of advice. The fact is, any type of decorating doesnt come easy to a lot of people. In fact, there are very few that take to it naturally. That leaves the rest of us confused and overwhelmed when it comes to making decisions. And, its important to make the right decisions and go about the work properly, otherwise your time and money will both be wasted.

Beginning with the preparation, you should be prepared for a lot of effort. The better you sand down the paint that is already existing the better your results will be.

So, you will need the right tools. If you have a large job, it would be advisable to either purchase a power tool or to rent one. Try to figure out how much time its going to take to complete this task. If it is a big job, it may be worth your while to buy it.

You will come across some areas that may require scraping. This is where the paint has become loose, chipped, or peeled. After this, proper sanding is necessary. Then, the next step involves washing the whole area. It is recommended to use a pressure washer. This will loosen and remove any bits and pieces of the previous paint that was sanded and scraped. Of course, start from the highest point. Before starting to paint, make sure that the wood is completely dry.

Before you apply any paint at all, you should be applying a high-quality primer. Not only will it close the pores of the wood, it will also help the paint to adhere better. The better adheres, the longer it will last. Additionally, if primer is not used, you will have to use a lot more paint. In case you didnt know it, undercoat paint is much more expensive than primer is.

Make sure you follow the directions according to the particular paint manufacturers. You will see that they suggest sealing the wood afterward. This will only provide you with longer lasting results. Any way you want to look at it, this can be a tiring and tedious job, especially if your entire home is made of wood. So, you want to do it right and avoid having to do this every year.

Instead of waiting for your job to become huge, inspect your home regularly. At the beginning of the spring and the fall, just look around to see if theres any problems. If you spot any peeling paint, simply fix it straight away. If you allow it to continue, it will only worsen the situation.

Regular maintenance is better than starting from scratch, or making big repairs. This can be said of practically anything, from properly maintaining your vehicle to taking care of your home. If the wood on your home is not well maintained, it could cost you a lot in repairs due to warping, chipping, and being subjected to the weather elements.

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