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DIY
Exterior Painting of an Old
House
Power Wash, Scrape and Complete External
Repairs of House Siding
By Mark
J. Donovan
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Check for Lead
Based Paint First
If your house was built prior to 1978
then you should have your house inspected for lead based paint. Lead based paint
is hazardous to your family’s health and should be professionally removed before
beginning any work on repainting the exterior of your old house.
Power Wash, Scrape
and Complete External Repairs
If the exterior paint used on your
old house is free from lead paint then begin the process of painting your home
by first pressure washing and scraping the entire house.
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Make sure you allow sufficient time
for the house siding to completely dry after power washing.
In addition, putty any dings in the siding, or if the area
has significant water damage you may want to literally reside the affected area.
Also, make sure all nails are properly sunk into the wood. You may even want to
putty in the nail holes for a really finished look.
Apply Primer to Siding
If you are planning to paint the house a different color
than the current one, a primer should be first applied that is of similar color
as the new paint. The primer helps to mask the previous color, makes the paint
adhere better to the wood siding, and provides a more uniform look.
Check the Weather Report
Make sure the weather will be dry and sunny long enough for
you to complete the painting task scheduled for the day and to allow time for it
to dry. Typically most paints require the temperature to be at least 50 degrees
for proper application and drying.
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Also avoid painting directly in the sun, so plan your
painting accordingly, e.g. paint the west facing side in the morning and the
east facing side in the afternoon.
Assemble the right Equipment
You will probably need ladders as well as paint buckets,
brushes and potentially paint sprayers. You should also have rags, twine and
drop clothes at hand.
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Cover the surrounding Area
Cover the surrounding shrubs and flowerbeds with drop
clothes. You may want to use twine to tie up the shrubs so that they don’t rub
up against the house.
Paint the Windows and Doors, and
associated Trim First
Paint the doors, windows and associated trim first, as this
will prevent ladder marks on the otherwise newly painted siding. Make sure you
leave the windows open a little so that the window paint has time to dry, thus
alleviating stuck windows.
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Paint the Siding Last
Start the siding painting at the top and work left to right
and down, moving the ladder frequently to prevent lap marks.
Exterior painting is a big undertaking for a homeowner.
Prior to starting this job, develop a reasonable schedule and staffing needs
(spouse, friends, and children help). If it looks like you will lack the time or
help, then consider employing a painting contractor rather than waiting on
painting the house. The longer you wait on a badly needed exterior paint job,
the higher the risk the home will suffer significantly from weather damage.
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