Intro:
This is our Exterior Prepping Process…We are local painting contractors in the Central Illinois Area. We have been a company for over 9 years! Today we are going to go over the different steps we take when we are repainting the exterior of your home! There will be pictures and videos through out the blog! The table of contents is located below so you know exactly what we will be doing!
We have a 5-year guarantee and we use all Sherwin-Williams products! Call today for a free estimate! 309-349-7021
Table of contents:
- Pressure Wash
- Preparation
- Primer
- Conclusion
- Come back next week for the rest of our process!
Pressure Washing:
The first step is going out to the home at least a week before you begin painting to examine and pressure wash. Doing this takes off any build up that may be on your home, as well as chipping off any loose paint or any chalking that has happened over the years. Pressure washing helps ensure the surface is clean and the new paint will adhere. This is also the time to make sure the siding is in good condition and doesn’t have any holes or cracks that need filled, and nothing is rotted or ruined in any way. Check all of the window puddy and all of the caulk.
**Make sure to take EXTRA CARE around all doors and windows**
Other things to watch for:
- Caulk windows and doors. A small, tedious task, however infinitely important when it comes to quality and lasting paint job. This prevents moisture from seeping behind the newly applied paint, additional protection. We do it right.
- Loose trim will need to be re-nailed. While we are up there working on eaves and fascia we will re-nail any loose trim.
- Rusted metal will need to be sanded and primed. Not only wire brushed but sanded too. You must remove all areas of rust to prevent it from reoccurring.
- We also carefully cover all plants, bushes, concrete and asphalt surfaces. This again is just courteous and clean. We will leave your property as we found it.
- Clean up at the end of each workday. We respect your Residents, Business or job site. We treat it as our own.
Preparation:
Next, we protect everything around the house.
We first we are going to lay drops clothes along the ground where the painting will be completed. We do this to make sure any paint doesn’t spill or stain anything it’s not supposed to.
We also lay drop clothes over any plants to protect them from any over spray.
Now, we tape plastic over all the windows and lights. We do this so any over spray doesn’t go on the windows or lights. We also put it over any doors that aren’t being painted.
Finally, we take off all the shutters and set them to the side. The shutters will be painted separately. We take them down so the whole body of the house is painted. If the shutters are being painted it is easier for them to be painted unattached. They can go on a stand and be sprayed with the airless sprayer!
Click here to read about painting and decorating your kitchen
Above is a picture of 6 windows taped up
Priming:
Now we begin the first coat, Primer. We use an airless sprayer that goes up to 3,000 psi. ALWAYS keep clean tips in an airless sprayer; this will help prevent any over-spray and keep a constant amount of paint flowing out. If you do not change the tips often, old paint will get mixed in with the new paint and there will be issues with running. There could also be globs of old paint stuck in the sprayer and come out and ruin your project.
The primer takes at least 4 hours to dry before you can apply the first coat of paint.
When using and airless sprayer there are multiple different steps to set it up, sanitizing the lines between products/colors, and shutting it down for the day.
Make sure to put a thin, even amount of primer so it doesn’t make the paint sag and to also ensure it actually adheres.
Any surface that is bare will need to be primed. If you are staining the wood you do not want to prime it!
Come back next week to get the rest of the details when painting! We will help you with the best tips!
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading our blog! Today we went over a few of our major steps that we follow here at Exterior and Interior Painting Specialists! These are all of the specific steps we follow here! We have spent many years perfecting our system and come up with our perfect routine! Call us today and we will set you up with a free estimate or we can answer your questions! Read our blog next week to see how we finish at projects!