Exterior Painting

There are some things to take into consideration before you just dive into painting the exterior walls of your home or office building. Make sure you have selected the finest and highest quality exterior paint. Then make sure that you know which walls you would like to paint and that you have enough paint to cover them all. But before you apply any new paint make sure some prep work has been done first, wash away any sand or mud build-up, remove any flaking paint clips and be sure to close any unwanted holes or cracks, remember painting over mold or rot will only cause you further damage and repair work later. You wouldn’t want any delays once you have started the painting process, so be sure to keep an eye on the weather for any possible rain or cold, as this will affect the walls from drying correctly.
 
Brush painting
When you use a brush to paint your exterior walls, you will use less paint, however painting a larger area will take so much more of your time, resulting in additional labour costs. Brush painting will mirror that of other painting methods. However only if you followed some basic painting guides, as well as work as tidy as possible. It’s also important to tape off areas that you don’t want to be painted, as this will make cleaning up less painful later on.
 
Primer
Using a primer before painting will assist with the protection of the wall, as it seals the grains, paint adhesion is boosted and bleed-through is avoided. It will seem like double the work, however, it will give you great benefits and a longer-lasting paint job. Primer can be applied separately before painting as done in previous years or alternative you can now purchase paint that offers primer that is already incorporated. This will save on labour as well as the number of paint coats you would have to apply to get the best results. This type of paint carries a higher cost, but it is relatively the same in comparison as if you had to purchase the primer and paint separately.
 
Painting method
Did you know, that painting from top to bottom will aid in the prevention of streaks, this is due to the balance of working with gravity and not against it. Depending on the painting method you might still experience paint dripping, which is normal and is easy to blend in.
 
The correct products to use
There is a number of paint options you can choose from when painting your exterior walls, here are just some options.

Oil-based paints are water-resistant and are durable; they present a hard finish and are generally better to apply on a surface that was previously painted with an oil-based paint. Oil-based paints are generally more favoured amongst professional painters.
Latex paints are quick-drying and are easy to apply; this paint is ideal for outdoor use for areas exposed to direct sunlight and is very easy to clean.