Repainting our games room

How you paint the exterior of your house is incredibly important — a high quality paint job not only makes your house look great, it also keeps it protected from the elements.

Additionally, a great paint job can boost the value of your home quite a bit, so it definitely pays to dust off that brush and roller and get to work!

Choose your Paint

With exterior paints, you have two main options regarding paint type: water-based paint (latex), and oil-based paint (alkyd).

Oil-based paints are considered to be of a higher quality than water-based paints; they are durable and stain-resistant, and they flow smoothly which means fewer brush marks are left in the paint. However, they are more difficult to apply, as they take a long time to dry and can only be cleaned up using paint thinner.

Water-based paints, conversely, are much easier to apply. They can be cleaned up with soap and water, they dry very quickly and they are very flexible which makes them unlikely to crack.

For a fairly easy paint job that still yields great results, use a high-quality (100% acrylic resin) water-based paint.

If you Notice Damage, Start Painting Immediately

If your current paint job is starting to degrade in a significant way (whole sections starting to peel or blister off), you will want to repair it as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the worse the problem could get, as any exposed wood is prone to external damage like moisture, rot, termites, etc.

Prepare the Surface

A good painting needs a good canvas. To properly prepare your house for painting, you will need to remove all residue (such as dirt and grime) off of its surface. This can easily be done with a power sprayer; however, a stiff scrubbing brush will be just as effective (albeit more time-consuming).

If you have any cracks or holes, fill them with wood putty. Once the putty is dry, sand it down until it is level with the rest of the surface.

Make Sure the Surface is Dry

The surface should be completely dry before you apply paint to it. For the best results, dry each segment of the house with a cloth before you paint it — this way, you can be completely sure that section is dry. If you dry too early, the surface might accumulate some moisture by the time you get to painting it.

Paint in the Shade

Direct sunlight can bake the surface of your house, making the paint dry prematurely (which can cause cracking, blistering, and flaking). Either wait for an overcast day to start your painting, or paint on the shady side of the house, avoiding the sun throughout the day as you move to new sections of the house.

If you're concerned about painting the exterior of your home, which can be quite the task, contact a company like COLOUR CRAFT QLD PTY LTD to have professional painters handle it for you.