House Painting Concord – Residential Painting Inside and Out
When acquiring a new home, you probably think of the financial responsibility. But don’t forget about the time and labor that come with home ownership. You can keep your house in tip-top shape with regular maintenance and house painting in Concord that will prevent you from wasting money (and future headaches).
Painting a home can transform it from mundane to awe-inspiring! It can also help increase property value and sell your home more quickly. Painting is much more work than just applying a new coat of paint on the surface, as it requires serious planning even before the work starts. But when done right, the results are worth all the effort.
Prep is the first step.
Preparing the surface is the crucial first step for every paint job. It involves washing and cleaning, repairing, sanding, priming (optional), and a few other steps.
And do we say preparing the surface is crucial? It’s the key to achieving a smooth and durable paint finish. If you don’t prepare your walls, the paint will have problems adhering to the surface, which can ruin your paint job.
Prep work doesn’t only consist of getting the surface ready for painting. It consists of preparing the entire area, too. If you plan to paint the interior walls, you must move the furniture and remove the wall decor, drapes, lighting fixtures, doorknobs, and anything else that can impede your paint job. Cover the floor with drop cloths and tape specific areas (such as trim) to protect them from dripping paint.
If you plan to paint the exteriors, such as wood siding, brick, concrete, etc., some preparations are needed on the site. Remove outdoor furniture, grills, and trash bins: tape and cover outlet boxes and fixtures with painter’s tape or drop cloths. Similarly, you’d also want to protect your shrubs and landscaping with drop cloths.
Choose how you will paint.
There are three common methods for painting: brushing, rolling, and spraying. You can choose any of the three. Brushing and rolling can take more effort, but you will have more control, especially when it comes to tight corners. These two methods also result in a solid and long-lasting finish.
On the other hand, spraying is the easier and faster way to apply paint. However, it is expensive and uses a lot more paint. When you use this method for exterior painting, there’s the risk of overspray as the wind can carry the paint mist further away instead of going to the surface you’ve intended to paint. But if you prefer spraying, it would be cheaper if you hire a professional to do it. Don’t spray paint when it’s humid and windy. It’s better to wait first until the weather is stable enough to do it.
Here’s a helpful article about comparing rolling, brushing, and spraying.
Painting the house interior.
Painting your home’s interior can be done with brushing and rolling. Prepare your room or area for painting with painter’s tape, drop cloths, and coverings. Clean the walls, repair any damage, sand the repaired area, caulk between joints and other materials, and prime the walls.
Then, use the brush to paint the edges around doors and windows, trim, baseboards, etc. Use a roller to paint large areas for faster application of paint. Apply two coats of paint.
Painting the house exterior.
Painting your home’s exterior involves washing and cleaning the surface, repairing any damage, caulking, sanding, covering areas you don’t want to be painted, priming, and painting.
Since exterior surfaces are exposed to many elements, such as moisture, heat, and pollution, thorough cleaning is recommended. For areas affected by mold and mildew, get rid of them using a bleach solution or mildewcide. Some areas are so dirty that manual cleaning or a garden hose isn’t enough. Thus, many rent a power washer to get rid of the stubborn dirt more quickly and thoroughly.
After cleaning the surface, let it dry. Then, do the necessary repairs, sanding, and caulking. If you’re dealing with a painted surface, prime only the areas that need it. Then proceed to paint.
Reminder: these steps above are for painting the wood siding. Exterior painting may vary depending on the surface type. For example, painting the aluminum or vinyl siding may require fewer steps than painting the wood siding.
So, as you can see, painting the interior and exterior surfaces requires a lot of work to achieve the “looks-like-brand-new” finish you desire. But would you spend your two or three weekends doing a paint job or use that time instead to relax and let the house painting in Concord contractors work their magic?