How do you take care of one of your best investments – your home? Owning a house entails not just financial responsibility but also the responsibility of maintaining its appearance and structural integrity. House painting in Dublin is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways.
As long as the paint job is done correctly, it can restore and even enhance the appearance of your home. It also helps increase your home’s property value and can help you sell your home quickly in the future.
If you decide to do the necessary repairs and paint job for your home, you will need proper planning before the work begins, whether you want to go the DIY route or hire a professional to do the work for you.
Take time to prep
Preparing the surface is a crucial first step for every paint job. Take time to wipe or wash, repair, caulk, sand, and prime (which is optional). You are free to skip this step if you wish. But you should see the difference between a paint job without prior prep work and a paint job with one. Prepping the surface before painting will give you the desired results.
But before prepping the surface, you should prepare the work area first, whether you’re doing an interior or exterior paint job or both.
To prepare for interior painting:
- Move the furniture out or cover them if removing it seems impractical or impossible.
- Take off any wall decor, drapes, light fixtures, doorknobs, and anything else that can impede your paint job.
- Cover your floor with drop cloths and tape certain areas (like trim) to protect them from paint drips.
To prepare for exterior painting:
- Move any outdoor furniture, trash cans, barbecue grills, etc., out of the way.
- Cover outlet boxes or other fixtures with drop cloths and painter’s tape.
- Cover shrubs, hedges, or flower beds with drop cloths to protect them from dripping paint.
Choose the way you will paint.
Choose to paint your walls in any of the three methods: brushing, rolling or spraying.
Using a paintbrush or roller may take more time and effort. But the good thing about using either, especially with brushing, is that you will have more control over what you’re painting, especially in tight corners. Brushing and rolling are also budget-friendly and will ensure long-lasting results.
Spraying paint, in comparison, is easier and quicker. However, it is more expensive than brushing or rolling because it requires spraying equipment. This method may use more paint as well. If you choose to spray paint on exterior walls, you may risk overspray because the wind can carry the paint mist away instead of landing on the surface you want to paint. Check the weather first if it’s not too windy and humid. Before spraying paint, it would be better to wait until the temperature and winds are stable.
Painting the interior walls
After cleaning, repairing, caulking, and priming the surface, you’re now ready to paint. Use the brush to paint cut in around doors and windows, corners and edges, trim, and baseboards. Use a roller to roll paint on wide and flat surfaces quickly. Apply two coats of paint.
Painting the exterior walls
Preparing the exterior walls for painting requires more effort, especially if the siding is too dirty with dust and soot. In this case, you must wash it thoroughly by brushing manually, using a garden hose, or by power washing (you can buy or rent a power washer or rent a professional to handle it). If there’s mold or mildew, use a bleach solution or mildewcide.
After cleaning and letting the siding dry, do the necessary repairs, caulking, and sanding. If you’re dealing with a painted surface, prime only the areas that need it. Then proceed to paint.
These steps above are for painting the wood siding. Methods for exterior painting may vary depending on the type of siding. For example, painting aluminum or vinyl siding may require different steps than painting wood siding.
So, as you can see, around 85% of a typical paint job lies in the prep work. It is the key to achieving the “looks-like-brand-new” finish that will last for many years. But would you spend three weekends doing prep work and painting your home or use that time instead to relax and allow house painting in Dublin professional painters to do the work for you?