The Five Areas of Exterior Painting Preparation

The exterior of your house takes a lot of wear and tear. Being exposed to the elements everyday can cause some problems that can make your home look less than perfect. A new coat of paint can help improve this, but there are a few areas that must be carefully examined before painting can even begin. If these areas need extra help, then prep work is necessary for the painting job to look its best. Let’s take a closer look at the five big areas that may need prep before painting.

1. Peeling

Peeling is usually found in the smaller areas of your home like the door trim, garage trim, railings, and posts. Moisture sits in these areas and breaks down the paint. Once the paint peels off, the moisture then gets into the wood which can lead to rotting boards. Rotting boards cannot be fixed and must be completely replaced.

In order to prep areas of peeling, we will scrape, sand, and prime. Scraping will get all of the bad paint off, while sanding creates a surface with a better “bite” for a better bond. The primer will then protect the wood better. This will also protect the paint, so that your trim, railings, and posts will look great and are not at risk of rotting for a long time.

2. Fading

Fading happens to the sides of your house that get the most sun, which is usually the south and west sides of your home. When the sun beats down on the paint, it breaks down the resin. Resin is the hardener in paint, so when it breaks down, the wood below loses its protection. This leads to warped boards. And like boards that have moisture in them, the only way to fix warped boards is to replace them.

The best way to prep these areas is to power wash them before using a quality paint. We also recommend using a second coat of paint or a coat of primer. When the area is power washed, it gets the chalking paint off of the house, which provides a better surface for painting. We often use a thick coat of liquid vinyl paint to increase protection from the sun. Using a second coat or an extra primer will also extend the longevity of the paint job.

3. Cracking

Cracking occurs in joints where siding boards meet trim boards. It can also occur where two trim boards meet, like around a window or door. Cracking occurs when contractors use inexpensive caulking. When the temperature changes, your house moves and the caulking can crack. Cracking can lead to moisture running down the back of the boards, which is unprotected. This leads to boards warping away from the house. Again, the only solution is replacement.

In order to prep these areas, we re-caulk all of the joints with a 35 year siliconized acrylic caulking. We then use our fingers or a wet rag to carefully fill in these tiny cracks. This caulking will stop moisture from getting behind the boards because it flexes when the house moves. It will not crack and lasts much longer. It will even save you some money on your heating bills!

4. Nail Holes

Nail holes are usually found in the siding of your home due to a variety of reasons. Moisture sits in the nail hole causing the siding around it to swell. Think of it like when the pages of a notebook gets wet – the pages get wrinkly and then swell up.

Prep for nail holes is fairly simple. We will caulk every nail hole so that no more moisture can get into the boards. Unfortunately, we can’t fix any damage that has already been done, but we can prevent any further damage from happening. When we caulk these tiny holes, moisture will no longer run down the side of the house, which will prevent future swelling.

5. Peeling Siding

Peeling siding is found underneath siding boards. It happens to whatever side of the house does not get much sunlight, which is often the north side of your home. Since this side of the house doesn’t get a lot of sun, moisture stays longer. This moisture breaks the paint down under the siding boards. This can also happen when contractors don’t apply paint directly underneath the siding board. This can quickly lead to rotting boards.

Prep for peeling siding is to sand down the area and then prime it. Sanding down the siding is key because it will allow the surface to hold the paint. The primer then seals the board up and reduces any further damage. Once this is done, we can begin painting. As we paint, we will make sure to spray the bottom of the boards, so this doesn’t happen again. When done properly, your siding boards will be well protected and last for a long time.

Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of painting the exterior of your house. It may have damage, but that is normal. With the proper prep work, your home can look as good as new. We want your new paint job to last, so we always make sure to fix any issues before painting. If you are ready to get your house painted or have more questions about prep work, give us a call at NUMBER HERE or send us a message at LINK HERE.