Do It Yourself Exterior Painting

In this age of maintenance free exteriors on homes, exterior house painting has become a forgotten art. However, there are still those people that have homes that require the occasional coat of paint to keep the home looking nice. There are those people that believe that they do not need to paint the home but that may not be true. Sure some of the siding choices today mean that you will not need to ever paint again, but in many cases there is still the need and you will need to make some determinations in that instance about how you plan to do it.

The first order of business is too know what kind of exterior that you have. Many of the newest homes have vinyl siding on them and this kind of siding will never need to be painted. This is not to say that you can not paint it, which you can. But the fact of vinyl is that you do not have to paint it because it will never peel or become pitted. This is one of the biggest draws of the vinyl siding industry. You couple that with the fact that vinyl siding is much cheaper then the previous aluminum siding and you will find that it is very popular.

If you have aluminum siding then most likely it has been painted before. Over time aluminum will become pitted and ugly looking which means that a coat of paint needs to be applied. The problem is that aluminum does not hold paint real well and it can start to peel and look very unsightly as well. When you have aluminum siding you will need to make sure that you properly prepare the surface for painting. In most cases this can be done with some paint thinner and a good cleaning.

Wood siding is also a popular choice for homes. It gives that rustic look that is so appealing to many people who have tired of living in the city setting. Much like the aluminum siding, wood siding will need a coat of paint as the weather takes its toll on the paint job. The paint will fade and peel as time goes on. Scraping is the most common way to get rid of the old paint but this can be very time consuming for those that have a large home.

The real matter in both cases is how to remove the old paint quickly and efficiently. Now in the years past a person would use sandblasting for this project. However, sandblasting is very expensive and is not something that just anyone can do. With a sandblaster you can actually cause more damage then anything as the blast will tear up the wood or aluminum if you do not know what you are doing.

The new method that just about anyone can do is the power washing method. Power washers use water at jet force and can quickly clean items that need a good spruce up. Most of the big painting companies have switched to using power washing instead of sandblasting because it is cheaper and works just as well.

Power washers are the best method for quickly removing old paint from the exterior of the home with out costing the person an arm and a leg. They are available to rent or buy all over the world.

WARNING: Before you begin any painting project, be sure that you are working in a well ventilated area to prevent illness or injury. Also, be sure that you read and follow all instructions on the materials that you are using to prevent injury or illness. Be sure to wear the proper safety clothing and follow all safety precautions to prevent illness or injury.