5 Easy Steps To Prep Your Exterior For A Pro Finish

Some of the things to consider before you begin are plants, colour choice, weather conditions and tricky surfaces to get the professional finish you’re after.

To start you on your journey, we’ve compiled a guide to preparing your exteriors for a dreamy paint finish.

Step 1: Have the right tools

Most of the tools and equipment required are the same as what is needed for an indoor job, with a few added extras. Your basic list should include:

• Drop cloths or tarps
• Masking tape;
• Wall-prepping equipment (see below);
• A ladder,
• The paint, and
• A variety of brushes and rollers.

If you need some help with the latter, consider a minimum of one 50mm paint brush, one angled brush, a 12mm nap roller, plus a 230-270mm roller frame and paint roller pole for those high spots.

Handy tip: Always check your paint tray matches the width of your roller!

Step 2: Clear your area before you start

Painting the exterior of your property may involve some landscaping, particularly if you have any intrusive tree branches or an existing garden bed along your walls. You can try to cover your plants but there’s always the risk of things getting trampled, broken or ruined. Trim or move any plants that may present a safety hazard or could get damaged during the job.

Step 3: Fix your surfaces

If you have any cracks, holes or chipped paint, it’s best to fix these up  before you start a new paint job. You will want to work with a smooth surface.Use a sealant to fix any joints or cracks, and fill in holes with the exterior filler of your choice. Sand and wipe down to remove dust or residue before painting.

Step 4: Prepare the surface

Firstly, wash your walls with a simple mixture of detergent and water. Use a clean broom to help apply the solution and scrub the surface before hosing down with water. If you have any mould, apply a bit of bleach or, if you’re dealing with a more serious case, call in a professional. Let the wall dry before starting your paint job, and don’t forget to use masking tape to keep your edges sharp and put down a drop cloth to catch any drips!

Step 5: Pick the right paint and colour

Decide on a gloss, semi gloss or matt finish as usual, however, be sure to get yourself a product purposely engineered for outdoor conditions. You will also need to prime your surface, unless you use a self-priming paint which will cut your job in half. For example, Taubmans has a self-priming All Weather Exterior paint that helps protect your outdoor walls from a range of adverse conditions and interferences, including dirt, mould and UV rays.

And for the fun part, deciding on colour! Taubmans All Weather paint comes in a range of over 6000 hues perfect for the outdoors, so the world, or paint palette as it were, is really your oyster.

A good tip for choosing exterior paint colours is to start with a primary or field colour, and then choose an accent colour to complement it, for application on doors, shutters and smaller elements of the facade. A trim colour can also pull the look together, although modern homes and often will not feature the trim colour and window frames, for example, the same colour as the rest of the house for a uniform look.

When painting with colour be sure to stir paint pots using a wide flat stirrer, in a circular lifting motion, for at least 5 minutes before use. This will ensure the colour tints are dispersed evenly throughout the paint. Then continue stirring at regular intervals during application.

If you need help calculating paint quantities, try an online calculator like this one to do the sums for you.

Now it’s time to get rolling on the painting itself!

source: https://www.realestate.com.au/lifestyle/5-easy-steps-to-prepping-your-exterior-for-a-pro-finish/