Our house elevation project is almost complete. The next step is the exterior painting aspect. What do you need to know?  

Top 5 Tips for Exterior House Painting

1. TEMPERATURE

Ideally, exterior painting will take place when the temperatures are going to remain above 50 degrees, even at night. Otherwise you are likely to get peeling. Once the temperatures warm up, you can tackle that exterior paint job. 

2. GET AT LEAST THREE BIDS

With three bids you’ll see what the fair market value is for the job. After our house elevation, the house is pretty high. How are they going to paint it safely? I didn’t want to have any surprises in terms of injuries or the price once the job began.

3. POWER WASH and PREP

The integrity and longevity of your paint job hinges on the preparation phase. Make certain you’re painters don’t skimp on this stage. Our house is made of cedar shingle, so it had to be handled a bit more delicately than other exterior finishes, or the shingles could break.

The preparation is the most time-consuming part, but also vitally important. Cracks need to be filled, nail holes need to be covered, etc. 

  

House gets a full power wash

The power wash rids the house of any dirt, mold or debris that may have built up over the years. Cedar shingle homes are susceptible to mold in areas that get little sunlight or excessive moisture.

After the power wash, all the mold is gone. 

As with any natural wood product, there is always going to be some variation in the color tone of the shingles. For a more homogenous look, shingles can be painted.

4. USE LATEX PAINT 

Make sure the paint you choose is designed for exterior use and is latex based. Some paint companies may try to use oil-based paint for the trim, but this is an outdated practice. Following the adage of wine before beer – prime before paint. Both will provide for better results.

5. WATCH THE WEATHER 

The exterior of your house will need to be dry before the paint can be applied. After the house had been painted  the weather will ideally stay dry for at least a few days. If Mother Nature is taking requests, ask for sunny skies with no wind.

All the trim work was painted a crisp white while the cedar shingles were gently power-washed and left to age gracefully. 

CEDAR SHINGLES: We opted not to paint the shingles. Over the next few years, the older shingles and the newer shingles will blend in tone. We left the shingles bare to allow for color change. We spruced-up the front door and the garage door, starting with a power wash and followed up with a stain to enhance the wood.

Now for some landscaping ….