It’s amazing what a painting job can do to your home. Aside from increasing the price value of your house, you’re also protecting it from harmful elements and adding years to its life in the process. But while it may seem like a good idea, having to hire somebody for the service can be costly. That is why it is important to know the basics of residential house painting. You will at least know why it is priced that way, in case the painting services contract turns out to be a rip off.
Residential house painting basically involves two areas – interior and exterior. The method as well as materials and tools used for both are different.
Interior
Interior painting may seem the easier job, maybe because repairs are minimal compared to those of the exterior. That is why you do not need to paint interiors often. If the existing paint is of good quality, or there is lesser traffic in these areas, painting may not even be necessary. Because it is relatively easy, some home owners do the painting themselves.
Interior painting consists of painting the ceiling and walls. This also includes the windows and trims, and sometimes the floor. But the crucial part of painting is in the preparation. It can make or break any painting job.
Preparation starts with the inspection of the areas and making the needed repairs. Fill holes and level off surfaces. After that, you can sand the wood and then apply a primer. Primer must be applied to the wood in order for the paint to adhere well. There is a specific primer for each kind of paint, so choose the correct primer.
Exterior
First step is power washing. Using a pressure washer and some detergent, all the accumulated dirt and mildew as well as loose paint are removed. When surfaces are dry, it is time for scraping or sanding. This is to remove old paint so surfaces are level.
Next step is repair. Check if there are leaks, cover holes with spackle and caulk cracks along corners or joint area. After doing so, make sure that the surface is leveled off and there are no bumps or excess spackling paste. Remove them with a scraper. Treatments may also be added to the wood, such as mildew and termite treatments. After this, the next step is priming.
Keep in mind that quality paint is expensive. Since quality paint lasts longer than those with low or substandard quality, in the long run you have saved a lot of money because you do not need to repaint often. Also, choose your colors well. Colors and color combinations are important because they define the personality of the owner as well as affect the mood of those who see it.