painting techniques for creative finishes

If You Want Your Outdoor Paint Job to Look Nice, Avoid These Mistakes

7 July 2020 by Bradley Davis

You've probably seen some outdoor paint jobs you loved, and others that left you wondering what the homeowners were thinking. Most people don't want their home's exterior paint to peel, develop a two-toned look, or have an uneven texture. But if you want to avoid all these issues and have a home exterior that looks nice, then you need to avoid making the following mistakes when painting your home.

1. Using the wrong primer or no primer at all.

Primer is meant to seal the wood and give the paint a better bonding surface. You might be tempted to skip the primer to save money, but this will cause your exterior paint to peel pretty quickly. You really should use primer even if you are painting over an old layer of paint, since the old paint is probably flaking off in certain places. Make sure the primer you choose is recommended for outdoor use and for the type of paint you've purchased. If you are painting a light color over a dark color, make sure you select primer recommended for that purpose as a standard primer may not cover well.

2. Skipping the scraping step.

It's not just a good idea to scrape your home before you put the new paint on — it's essential. If you do not scrape off all the loose flakes of paint, they'll just fall off a few months later and take the new paint with them. Using a wide scraper will allow you to move pretty quickly when scraping. Make sure you focus on the areas where the paint is the loosest.

3. Applying paint when it's sunny out.

You don't want to apply paint when rain is on the forecast, but you don't want to apply in the hot sun, either! The sun can cause the paint to dry too quickly before it has properly bonded with the wood beneath. This will cause the paint to flake off prematurely. Too much sun when the paint is still wet can also bleach out some of the pigments. Try to paint on slightly overcast days or later in the evening when the sun is not as high in the sky.

If you can avoid the three mistakes above, then you will have better luck painting the exterior of your home. If you run into any trouble, consider hiring a residential exterior painting service in your local area.

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