You put a lot of work into painting the outside of your house, so it’s a real pain when problems show up a couple weeks, months or years down the road. The best way to avoid these problems is to do it right from the start. Here’s how to avoid some of the most common exterior painting mistakes.
Skimping on quality
The price of paint usually reflects the ingredients — ingredients which affect things such as durability, flow, and leveling. So the less expensive the paint, the more the chance that you’ll have trouble applying it properly and you’ll have to repaint sooner. A top-quality paint can last twice as long as a low-end paint. Of course, good paint at a reduced price is your best bet.
House construction
One of the chief painting “mistakes” has nothing to do with painting. Construction flaws can lead to such problems as ice dams — which lead to water in the walls — and moisture coming through walls from inside the house — which can cause blistering of the exterior paint. Ensure proper attic insulation and ventilation. And stop internal moisture from coming through the walls by venting bathrooms, kitchens and clothes dryers, and by applying moisture barriers to the warm side of exterior walls and below crawlspaces.
Not cleaning or deglossing properly
You’ll get peeling and cracking between coats if you don’t have good surface adhesion. Scrub the surface with a sponge or bristle brush and rinse well with clean water. You may need to use a detergent if this doesn’t do the trick. Scrubbing with TSP or a phosphate-free TSP substitute helps dull the surface. Always rinse well.
More mistakes next time.