If you’re planning to give your home a facelift, here are few tips and hints to help you through the job.
Choosing two colors is tough enough; if you want to go to three, you may go crazy. Looking at other houses can help. And you can get a very rough idea of how colors will look on your house by taking a photograph of your house and covering it with a blank overhead transparency. Then color in the key areas with markers. Once you’ve narrowed down the general color, paint a couple test patches on the house, and check them in different lights.
Any painter will tell you, proper prep is the key. Invest in a few good quality scrapers to avoid hours of frustration.
To paint over brick or concrete, first clean the area with a stiff brush and a trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution. Rinse and let dry. Then use latex paint, which allows the material to breathe moisture without causing peeling. Priming’s a good idea, and a couple top coats will give you more complete coverage and a longer lasting finish. Other options include clear acrylic sealer as a primer, or paint additives that allow you to prime and paint in one application. For vinyl siding, acrylic latex is your best bet.
For better coverage, tint your primer so it’s close to your finish color.
Planning your day: If you’re using oil based paint, let the dew evaporate; don’t start too early. And try and avoid painting in direct sunlight by following the sun around your house and painting in the shade. (It’s easier on you, too.) Start from the top and work down, painting horizontally.