Intro:
Welcome to Exterior & Interior Painting Specialists bog! Today we are sharing our entire Exterior Prepping Process! Last week we shared the first half, today we are going to share all of it! We are local painting contractors in the Central Illinois Area. 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! We are also showing all of the Sherwin-Williams products we use! The table of contents is located below so you know exactly what we will be doing!
Table of contents:
- Pressure Wash
- Preparation
- Primer
- First Coat
- Second Coat
- Detail Painting
- Clean Up
- What products we use
- Conclusion
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!
First Coat of paint:
After the primer is dry and at least four hours have passed we can paint the first coat.
We always paint two coats on every project that we do, this ensures an equal amount is put everywhere on the home and it has a nice look at the end.
We have to wait at least 8 hours before we can apply the second coat so we will leave the first coat to dry over night.
While the first coat dries, you can paint the shutters and anything else that is being painted (Ex: Any doors, metal awnings, or patio furniture)
Exterior PreppingSecond Coat:
The second coat can be painted after 8 hours of dry time. It’s best to cut in the edges first then do the main spraying or rolling on the second coat. If you cut in last the lines may show through once it is all dry.
Detail Painting:
Most of the small detailed painting can’t be painted with the airless sprayer, so it will take some extra time and a brush or a roller. Be careful in small areas with a brush not to get it on anything else!
Click here to read about getting your homes exterior ready for spring!
Clean Up:
Finally, after everything is painted and dried, we can clean things up!
*Remember, the cure time for most paint products are at least 30 days. Try not to attach or apply hard pressure on anything that has been painted within the last 30 days.*
We pick up the drop cloths and tools we used. We can take all of the blue tape and plastic off the windows and lights.
After we have picked everything up, removed the plastic and tape, and returned everything to its correct spot, we walk around the job site with the owner.
Exterior Products That we use:
For exterior there are a lot of different surfaces that you may encounter. Luckily, Sherwin-Williams paint lines are advanced enough that each product can be used on multiple products.
Super Paint:
Product Information:
- Formulated with Advanced Resin Technology for outstanding adhesion, hide and color retention.
- Outstanding coverage and durability. Provides a dirt-resistant and mildew-resistant coating.
- Withstands the elements and resists frost, peeling, blistering, fading and cracking.
- Low temperature application down to 35°F.
- Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe® paint colors allow you the freedom to choose from 100 color options, including a limited selection of darker colors formulated to resist warping or buckling when applied to sound, stable vinyl siding.
- Available in flat, satin, gloss and high-gloss sheens.
- High-gloss is ideal for reducing sticking on doors, windows and trim.
As it says above, this paint is safe to paint on vinyl. It can also be used on all other materials, some of course may need to be primed first! It can withstand cold temperatures as well!
Resilience:
Product Information:
- Formulated with exclusive MoistureGuard™ Technology for excellent moisture resistance in half the time of traditional latex paints — paint later in the day with confidence and less concern about dew or impending rain.
- A mildew resistant coating.
- Outstanding hide, coverage, durability and dirt resistance.
- Flows and levels for a smooth, uniform finish.
- Low temperature application down to 35°F.
- Can be tinted in VinylSafe® Paint Colors
This paint is critical to our exterior division here at Exterior and Interior Painting Specialists. This paint dries in half of the time, we use it at the beginning and end of our exterior session, just because the temperature and weather isn’t very stable here in central Illinois. Just like the super paint
Super Deck:
Product Information:
- Protects the integrity of your wood deck for 3 years with fast, easy application.
- Penetrates bare wood, giving properly prepared decks excellent protection from sun and premature weathering.
- Contains agents which inhibit the growth of mildew on the surface of this paint film.
- Technologically advanced formula weathers similarly to oil-based stains. It wears away gradually rather than peeling and blistering at the end of its lifecycle.
- Can be applied on damp wood, so most jobs can be finished in a single day.
Super deck, as I’m sure you have guessed by the name is for wood decks.
Woodscapes:
Product Information:
- Enhances appearance and texture for great curb appeal.
- Penetrates for exceptional protection and resistance to peeling.
- Thick formula for uniform finish with great coverage.
- Excellent color retention provides a mildew resistance coating.
- Low temperature application to 35° F
Woodscapes is great for staining wood on your home. Stains can come in a solid, semi-solid or translucent. You of course can use paint on your wood as well.
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading our blog here at Exterior & Interior Painting Specialists! Today we went over our multi-step process when it comes to painting the exterior of your home! We also went over all of the Sherwin-Williams products we use! We hope you enjoyed the blog! If you have any questions, are curious about other processes, or would like to set up a free estimate, fill out the form below!