July 14th, 2023 by Shauna Hammond

Painting the outside of your home can be a big job, but the payoff is definitely worth it, especially if you really want to add some personality to your home. Giving your home a lick of paint will make your house look cleaner and more updated, and can even increase its resale value. Painting is also one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your home's exterior. You can hire a professional to do this for you but depending on their experience and the area you live in and the size of your home this can be quite an expensive option however if you are feeling confident it is something you can do yourself – In this blog, we will look at some tips to preparing your home and how to handle the job to hopefully help you decide if its something you can do.

What You Will Need

Before getting started you should get all the essential supplies together that you will need in order to finish your new project, these include:

Paint: It is important to choose high-quality paint designed specifically for exterior use. Ensure you check it is suitable for use on brick/masonry as something that is designed to be used on wood and decking will not get the job done! As for the finish and the colour well that is completely up to you – pick something vibrant or more natural but make sure it’s one that you really want.

Primer: A primer is essential as it will ensure you get a nice even finish and that the paint will adhere better to the texture of your wall. You will need to find a primer that is suitable for outdoor use too so be sure to carefully check the label are ask for help from a member of staff at the hardware store if you are uncertain.

Brushes and Rollers: Next you will need to get a variety of brushes and rollers suitable for exterior painting, or alternatively you can look into investing in a paint sprayer – this will make painting the larger areas much quicker and easier, and you are also less likely to become fatigued using a sprayer – however if you prefer the old-fashioned way that’s fine too! Just ensure you get high-quality brushes and rollers so you don’t need to frequently replace them.

Drop Cloths or Plastic Sheets: While these are optional it is recommended so that you do not ruin any surrounding pavements, garden furniture or other items around your home during the painting period – after all no matter how careful it can be quite a messy job, you can also use them to cover windows too in order to not spoil the glass.

Ladder or Scaffolding: Chances are you will need something to reach the highest parts of your home so invest in a good sturdy ladder, or you can hire scaffolding to reach the top floors of your home too. Whichever your preference always make sure it is secure and have a helper to assist you and support the ladder too.

Painters Tape: You will need tape in order to protect the seals around windows and other things that you want to avoid accidentally painting, it will also secure tarps on the windows too for better security.

Sandpaper or Sanding Block: If you have existing paint or just very texture areas on the wall then sandpaper or a sanding block will be needed to remove these and even the surface, this will make applying both the primer and paint easier and will give an overall better finish.

Caulk and Caulk Gun: This is also a good chance to check for any cracks or damage that can be repaired with caulk.

Cleaning Supplies: Before painting, you will need to clean the exterior surfaces thoroughly. You may need a pressure washer, scrub brush, detergent, or mildew cleaner, depending on the condition of the house it will also make it easier to clean any accidental spills or paint drips once you have finished too.

Protective Gear: Wear appropriate clothing, dust mask and goggles to protect yourself while painting as the fumes from some paints and primers can be quite strong.

Prep Your Home for Painting

Once you have all your supplies prepared then it’s time to being preparing your surface. We would first recommend removing any old paint and using the sandpaper or sanding block to even out any areas of texture that may be problematic. You should also take this time to check for any cracks or areas that may need repairing. Once you have done this and any repairs are fully cured, if you have a pressure washer use this to clean the surfaces, this will make it easier for the paint to adhere and will remove any debris that may cause an uneven texture. You can then go ahead and apply your primer, this may require a couple of coats to fully cover the area.

Start Painting

Once the primer has cured and you are set to paint, get all your tools ready – as mentioned for better and faster coverage it is highly recommended to use a paint sprayer for this job. This will make it easier to cover a wider area in a fast period of time. Regardless of whether you choose to use a sprayer or roller, we recommended completing your first coat in sections, this will avoid too much overlap which can result in a patchy paint job – it is better to work slowly section by section and being careful than trying to quickly apply your first layer before it dries. You will likely need to apply a couple of coats to ensure that you have full even coverage.

When painting it is also important to take into account weather conditions, applying the paint when rain is due is likely to ruin all your hard work up to that point, whereas painting when it’s windy risks debris getting caught and drying into your lovely new paint job – on the other hand painting in high temperatures will not only make fatigue more likely but the paint will bake a dry quicker making it a little harder to work with – a warm but overcast day is usually the best time to do the outdoor painting.

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A Few Things to Consider

Here are a few other things to take into consideration before beginning painting:

Painting the outside of your home is a pretty big job, arguably too large of a job for a single person to undertake so where possible try to get a couple of other people involved in the process. This will not only be quicker but safer too.

Work out costs and leave a margin of error – before starting the project work out your budget to make sure you can afford to undertake the job, you sometimes may need more paint than you initially realised and you may need to replace brushes etc. So be sure to account for any extra expenses after all you don’t want to be halfway through painting your home and then run out of money and paint!

If you do not feel confident in your ability to complete the job, it may be more beneficial to pay the extra fees to hire a professional after all if they have to also correct mistakes as well as apply a new coat then the cost could end up being even higher.

We hope that you have a better understanding of how to paint the exterior of your home now and are better able to plan if it is a project you would like to undertake. It can be a big step and it can be fairly daunting but it is incredibly rewarding to enjoy the fruits of your labour when it is all done however you do not want to put yourself in situation that you cannot handle so be sure to consider all options before proceeding.