Painting Your House: Information, Research and Price Estimates

Painting your house is one of the best ways to add value to your home. This is true even if you are putting on the same color as before. Keep in mind, using paint of a good quality can make a surface more abrasion-resistant, easier to clean and capable of washing without the risk of removing the paint.

Interior Painting

If you are working indoors, you must attend to the holes in walls and ceilings before slapping on a coat of paint. These areas should be repaired with a vinyl spackling compound and they will usually require more than one coat due to shrinkage. If you have larger damaged areas to repair then you will most likely need to use wallboard or plaster patch. You can make wallboard repairs with Fiberglas joint tape and drywall joint compound. Plaster repairs can be successfully made with plaster patching product. If you need to blend in a textured finish after you make a repair, try using a spray texture in an aerosol can.

Exterior Painting

For exterior finishes, you will probably be working with old flaking paint on the siding, trim, gutters and downspouts. This needs to be removed before you put a fresh coat of paint on. The most effective approach would be to begin with a power washing with water to remove the majority of the damage and then use a paint scraper to remove the remaining flaking, chipped or blistered paint. Once that is done, mix together a solution of 50/50 bleach and water to remove mold and mildew.

Paint Selection

Your next step is to select the right paint and applicators for the job. This step is essential to an attractive and long-lasting result. As a rule of thumb, note that the more costly the paint is the better quality it is. Basically this means is that a costly paint will most likely get the job done in one-coat, be abrasion-resistant and remain good looking for a longer period of time. It is definitely worth paying the extra money for. Below are a few tips on what type of paint should be used for applications.

• Oil-base semi-gloss enamel should be used for surfaces that will be subject to abundant moisture, such as basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. Although new advances in latex paint are making latex just as durable in wet spaces.
• A High-quality 100-percent-acrylic latex flat wall paint should be used on other surfaces.
• Exterior paint should be selected according to the material that you are painting. There are special paints designed to work with different materials.

Looking For More Information On Painting?

Painting your home is a great investment. You'll want to make sure you are choosing the right painter for your house and your budget. We offer Free Painting Price Quotes from local, prescreened house painters.