How to Prepare the Exterior of House Before Painting

There are a number of things we look for when doing a painting estimate on the exterior of a home. It is also what we look for on outside of a commercial building.

Depending on how old the structure is, will dictate how much care will be needed to bring it back into shape and making it weatherproof.

Washing Walls and Gables

We always start out our work on every exterior by hosing down or power washing to eliminate dirt and grime from the structure.

AZ SRB Painting is very selective when it comes to using a power washer because that heavy and very hard water pressure can do more damage to old wood that has become fragile.

We would rather scrub very dirty sections with TSP and then hose down the house with a hose after it is clean.

Peeling Paint

Is there peeling paint that needs to be scraped off? After scraping does the bare wood show?

If it does, we will many times use wood putty to fill holes or old paint to make it smooth. If it is just bare wood, we will have to paint it with a primer first, before applying a finished topcoat.

We have written an article on what needs to be done with Peeling Paint Before Painting

Stucco and Stem Walls

What condition is the brick, stucco and stem walls?

In the case of stucco, we might have to scrape off loose sections and fill in the gouges or holes with a patch compound called Fix-it-All and then match the texture with stucco patch.

The stem wall will need to be inspected for a white powder that is a result of water seepage called efflorescence crystals.

That will need to be scraped or wire brushed off and a water sealer painted on called Drylok, before painting over with a topcoat.

You can go here on more information on our blog for Stem Wall Before Painting

This painter is applying Drylock waterproof sealer to the Stem or Foundation Wall before painting top coat.

How to Prepare the Exterior of House Before Painting

Calking Gaps and Cracks

How about cracks or gaps in the wood or stucco? The older a house is, the more these will show up and will need lots of calking to fill in the cracks.

 We recommend a high grade acrylic caulk, like Alex Plus made by DAP, to seal them up from the elements.

Entry and Patio Ceilings

What shape is the entry and patio ceiling in? Many times, the old paint and drywall tape is peeling off. We will need to scrape that off, apply a primer on the bare drywall before taping and texturing and then put a topcoat of paint on.

Sometimes we have to replace sections of the drywall that are beyond repair with new pieces before taping and texturing.

Wood Gables and Eaves

What condition are the wood gables and eaves are in, especially the side of the house or building that receives the most sunlight? That is a big problem in Arizona and the south western USA.

Many times, the wood is so worn-out that just spraying the paint is not enough no matter how coats you put on it, so we do a technique called backrolling.

This is when you spray paint on the wood and a second painter will immediately follow with a roller over the same area while it is wet.

This will then help the paint to burry deep into the worn-out wood and bring life back into it and also fill many of the hairline to medium cracks.

Replacing Wood

We will also do minor wood replacement, depending on how much needs to be done.

If it is too extensive, we can recommend a contractor to do the work and then we can prime that out when the contractor is done.

This painter is applying caulk on wood seams and cracks to seal them up from the weather.

Digging Down to the Foundation

Pulling away the dirt and gravel from the foundation is something that is very important.

That gives us a better idea what condition the stem or foundation wall is in and it allows us to paint much further down and not have over spray on the ground.

After we are done spraying, we then push all the dirt and gravel back. This makes for a very tidy look to the building or house when completed.

Covering Walkways and Plants

We cover all walkways with heavy duty tarps as well as pulling back plants and shrubs and then covering them with plastic so no over or drifting spray can fall on them.

You can buy cheap tarps but it’s better to spend the money and upgrade and have a heavy tarp to protect your home with.

As you can see, there is much to be done in the way of preparation, or prep work, on every professional paint job.

This is what separates a quality, professional paint application from an armature do it yourselfer.

I can think of nothing that will change the total look of the outside of home in such a short period of time as a high-quality paint job, and the prep work will go a long way to seal it up from the elements.  

How to Prepare the Exterior of House Before Painting

Drylok Waterproof Paint

Follow Us On Facebook