Summer is a great time to repaint the house − especially if you’re painting it yourself rather than seeking the help of house painters in Toorak. However, you’ll need to allow plenty of time for this holiday renovation project, not just for the paint to dry, but also so you cancarry out the necessary surface preparation. All residential painters in Toorak will tell you that you can’t just slap on paint over any surface, especially when it comes to home exteriors. The outside surface of a home is most likely dirty and mouldy, and it might also have cobwebs, cracks and other issues that you’ll need to deal with before you can start painting. This article details three tips to help you prepare for exterior painting.
Tip 1 – Cleaning
Your exterior surface is by its nature an unclean surface covered with dirt, dust, mould, spider webs and more. You can’t just paint over this, as the paint won’t adhere to the surface properly unless it’s clean. Plus if you don’t clean it, you’ll have all kinds of lumps and bumps in your paintwork which will look unsightly. If you don’t have a high pressure cleaner, use a sponge and soapy warm water to remove persistent grime. If you have mould on your exterior, this might need a bit of bleach to remove, but take care when using bleach to use gloves and not breathe in the fumes. If you’re tempted to take a shortcut when cleaning, it’s best to hire house painters in Toorak so they can carry out the prep work for you.
Tip 2 – Sanding & Filling
If you’re painting a surface on an old house, or any surface that’s in a bad condition, then this step is especially for you. However, even if your surface is fairly smooth, don’t fast forward over this step, as even a light sand could make the difference between a standard paint job and a really good paint job. If there’s any peeling or cracking on your wall, you need to sand off the old paint and fill in the cracks. The point of this step is to create a slick surface that your brush can glide over easily. The sanding and filling evens out the bumps and fills in any holes in your surface. Uneven surfaces aren’t good for painting, as certain areas will take up more paint than others, resulting in an uneven end result. If you’ve got cracks or holes to deal with, use a body filler to smooth out the surface. You might choose to use powder based filler or decorator’s caulk. Sand over the whole surface once you’re finished filling in the cracks and holes.
Tip 3 – Priming
All professional residential painters in Toorak apply primer for their paint jobs. If you’re changing the colour of your exterior surface, priming is vital to get a clean colour result. A couple of primer coats will create a clean base that prevents the old colour from showing through the new − especially if the new paint colour is lighter than the old one. Priming also provides the paint with a surface that it can adhere to more easily. If you don’t do your priming, then your painting could have a patchy finish. If you’d prefer to leave all these issues to the experts, hire residential painters in Toorak and let them handle the job for you.
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