The new trend among homeowners is to do everything themselves, and with rising food costs, adjustable-rate mortgages and gasoline, consumers are doing everything they can to save money. So it should come as no surprise that people are looking for DIY (do it yourself) options.
One way to add value to your home and brighten things up for spring cleaning is to repaint it. For anyone who has ever painted their own house, we know that this is easier said than done. This, of course, does not mean that it is impossible, it can be done, if you take it seriously and follow the proper steps.
Most people spend a fair amount of time choosing the perfect shade of color to give their home a personal feel of grit and home. When professional painters or home supply stores call their paints “house paint,” it can be a real turn off. After all, it is the person’s home, not just any old house. Let me give you a little tip about painting; painting is the easy part. That may sound funny, but it’s true. The preparation, well, that’s the key to a perfect paint job.
If you’re going to be painting your own house, you’d be much better off buying a decent pressure washer to help with the prep than trying to do it all with a brush and garden hose nozzle. Still, pressure washing 101 tells us to be careful with high pressure when cleaning all the spider webs from eaves or dirt and debris from rain gutters.
You should do a perfect job there, plus if you’re painting over stucco or wood you should thoroughly rinse all cracks. To prevent wood or stucco from chipping, you should stand 1 foot back while power washing and plan to clean each surface 3 times. Clean once, brush, rinse and let dry. Do this 3-step process three times, along with any sanding, resurfacing, or repairs. Then you are ready to paint.