Painting the exterior of your home can be a daunting task, often leaving homeowners feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale and complexity of the project. The thought of covering such a large surface area, dealing with heights, and ensuring an even, professional finish can be intimidating, so its important that you're prepared before you begin.
At Brush & Roll Painting, we specialize in exterior home painting in Omaha, NE, bringing 27+ years of expertise and a professional touch to ensure your home looks its best. We have found the tips and tricks that ensures a long lasting, beautiful paint job.
In this article, we will share five essential DIY exterior painting tips to help you tackle this challenging project with confidence. From planning and preparation to execution and finishing touches, these tips will guide you through each step of the process, making your exterior painting project more manageable and successful.
5 DIY Exterior Painting Tips
1. Make A Plan For The Paint Work
With a project as extensive as exterior painting can be, it's important to make a plan for the work -- you can't just decide one day that you want to paint the outside of your home one day and start painting the house the very next day... unless of course you can quickly make such plans and also get the needed materials in time.
The planning phase of your painting project can ensure that you will have the right supplies for it as well as the right amount of paint, which of course is fundamental to your painting project -- imagine painting your home and running out of paint halfway through!
The other planning part is to make sure that you have all of the protective equipment you need so that you don't get paint all over the place, as well as the brushes and paint rollers that are used for the painting of your house.
2. Clean The Exterior Of Your Home Before You Start
The best way that you can have a well painted house is to start with a surface that is properly cleaned first -- if you try to paint on top of a dirty surface, you're going to have a paint job that will not only look bad but be a disaster as far as maintenance goes.
Power washing effectively removes dirt, grime, mold, and any other debris that has accumulated over time, ensuring that the surface is clean and smooth. This step is essential because painting over a dirty surface can lead to poor adhesion, resulting in a paint job that peels and chips prematurely.
If you don't already have a power washer, you can easily rent one from a local hardware store for a few hours.
3. Relocate Anything You Can Before Painting
When you're painting the exterior of your home, the fewer things that get in your way, the better. This means that any objects, furniture, or decorations that are currently situated around the exterior of your home should be moved to a different location.
By doing so, you not only protect these items from accidental paint splatters and spills, but you also create a more open and accessible workspace for yourself. This can include moving garden furniture, potted plants, outdoor toys, and even vehicles that might be parked close to the house.
Clearing these items out of the way will provide you with more room to maneuver, allowing you to reach all areas of the exterior walls without obstruction. Additionally, it reduces the risk of tripping over or bumping into objects while you are focused on painting, which can help prevent accidents and ensure a smoother, more efficient painting process.
4. Keep The Pets Indoors
Your pets can be your very best friends, but when it comes to an exterior painting project they can be the absolute worst.
Dogs in particular can be quite playful outside, and they can really make a tremendous mess -- even if they aren't running directly into the paint pans.
The best thing you can possibly do for the well-being of both your pet as well as the painting project, in terms of getting it done in a timely manner and of course considerably less messy.
5. Be Sure To Secure Coverings
For the things you can't relocate, like bushes, mailboxes, pillars, etc. its important that they are secure. Using a high-quality, thick plastic sheet or a heavy-duty canvas tarp can make a significant difference in preventing paint from seeping through and damaging the surfaces underneath.
It just takes a strong gust of wind to turn your protected plants into an entirely unprotected area. To avoid such scenarios, make sure to use weights, clips, or even tape to hold the coverings in place.
This extra step can save you from the frustration of having to clean or replace items that were supposed to be protected. This can also give you peace of mind and allow you to focus more on the task at hand, ensuring a smoother and more efficient painting process.
Exterior Home Painting in Omaha
We hope these steps will make your project more manageable. However, achieving a professional finish on your own is not easy. The scale of the task, the need for specialized equipment, and the precision required can be overwhelming.
If you need a professional to help you with your exterior painting in Omaha, NE, our team at Brush & Roll Painting can help. With our extensive experience and dedication to quality, we offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you require a complete exterior makeover or just a touch-up, our skilled painters use the best materials and techniques to ensure a flawless finish.
To make your exterior painting project even more manageable, whether you decide to hire professionals or tackle it yourself, download your checklist. By following our checklist, you can avoid common mistakes, stay organized, and ensure that no crucial steps are overlooked. I
Bill is the owner and operator of Brush & Roll Painting. Bill Carlson is a second-generation painter. He grew up working with his father’s painting and restoration company. After graduating from Bennington High School, he served in the US Navy, traveling with the boxing team. While this was a great opportunity to see the world, it also made him realize how much he loved his little world here in Nebraska. He settled back into the painting industry, working with his brother. It wasn’t long before Bill’s entrepreneurial spirit pushed him to start his own business. Always one for a challenge, he longed to prove to himself that he could be as successful on his own as both his dad and brother were.