At least every three years facades and exterior walls, whether concrete or wood, should be given maintenance in order to be kept in good condition. To do it as an expert there are three simple rules for getting great results:

1. Consider weather conditions

The temperature, humidity and wind are factors to consider not to affect good adhesion and paint finish. It is important to choose the right day to paint. It is best when you have a temperature around 50 degrees F., and when there is not too much wind. On hot days, try not paint in direct sunlight. The direct impact of sunlight on the surface causes high temperatures, which impair adhesion.

The heat should not be excessive because the paint solvent evaporates rapidly producing an immediate drying and preventing proper penetration to the surface, causing air bubbles or blisters almost immediately after application. This is frequently observed in oil paints and synthetic enamels and varnishes.

In the case of water paints a flaw in the material layer applied on the wall may occur. Therefore it is recommended to paint facades and exterior walls on shade or in the earlymorning or evening.

Excessive humidity also affects the paint; condensation on the surface wetting occurspreventing adhesion of material applied, mainly in the case of oil paints. Never paint if rain is coming.

The difficulty imposed by the wind is obvious. The adhesion of dust particles and impurities to the surface is undesirable and gives it a rough finish.

2. Good quality materials.

Brushes and rollers

Brushes are a necessity on most paint jobs for their ability to reach tight corners and cut in along trim. For best results with the application of paint, use good quality brushes and accessories. Choose the appropriate brushes and rollers for smooth or rough surfaces. Work with well-balanced and elastic brushes, with multiple rows divided and placed firmly in a thickness of 3/4 to 1 inch. A quality brush moistened by a dip in fresh paint, good bristlescan line up to form a sharp tip that traces around sash and sill, defines the edge of the wall and ceiling, and lays paint over a window mounting without spattering the glass.

Acrylic paints, which account for more than 90 percent of sales, go on best with a synthetic brush of nylon and polyester filaments. Recently, a new class of oil-friendly syntheticsbrush is challenging the dominance of natural-bristle brushes, which have traditionally been used to apply oil paints, polyurethanes, and varnishes.

Painting

For most exterior surfaces, the best choice is 100 percent acrylic latex paint. This paintscontain more solids than ordinary ones, forming a thick and durable layer. In addition, they cover better, saving extra work and money. This type of hard paint can last ten years or more, compared to the three or four of endurance of the lower quality one.

If you notice loss of adhesion where many coats of alkyd or oil-based paint received a latex top coat the problem may be paint incompatibility. The likely cause is to have used water-based latex paint over more than three or four coats of old alkyd or oil-based paint. This may cause the old paint to “lift off” the substrate. A viable solution is to repaint using another coat of alkyd or oil-based paint. Another good idea is to completely remove the existing paint and prepare the surface – cleaning, sanding and spot-priming where Necessary – before repainting with a top quality latex paint outside.

Materials

It is very important to choose quality in all materials, as you will notice in the completion of your work. You will need an extension ladder, paint trays, rags, roller sleeve, painter’s tape as well. You should also have a roller screen and a ladder stabilizer.

3. Surface preparation

Inexperienced painters often overlook this aspect, but the outer walls of a house always require surface preparation for better paint adhesion. Remember, even the best paintings fail if applied to a surface that has not been properly prepared. Before painting it is recommended that various details are reviewed, such as moisture seepage, cracks and other flaws. Among some of the prior jobs to preform, cracks need to be repaired and the coatingmust be cleaned until it is free of dust, grease and the previous painting work. This can be done either with a rented pressure cleaning equipment or a brush, soap and water. Remove any loose fragment of painting, by scraping or using a wire brush. If it is not a deep moisture problem, mold can be removed by applying a solution of warm water with chlorine. Sand the rough edges of old paint as well as those areas where the paint has seemsbrilliant. Finally, wipe the dust and particles that sanding and scraping may have left the. Wait until the surface is dry. Apply primer to all exposed parts. For best results, let the primer dry according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. You can use a roller or sprayer to speed up the process.

If you meet these three recommendations, your reward will be a beautiful and professional work of painting that will last many years. Now let’s go with the step by step with the painting job:

• First paint the edges of the roof and soffits before the walls, in case they are to have different colors. This prevents the paint drip edges on the walls freshly painted.
• Paint inside corners and around the edges. Use a corner roller or brush to paint details on these surfaces.
• For shingle siding, paint the bottom edges before the boards.
• Either with a paint roller or a brush, starting from the top of the wall. Start by the extreme left end you can reach, pulling the roller or brush towards you. Finish by the areas which are closest to you.
• Repeat until the section is completely painted; then use the same technique for the right side of the wall.
• Work quickly so as not to leave visible marks of the first hand and never stop you in the middle of a section.
• Paint to the corner very of the house so the paint color is uniform.
• Move the ladder so you can reach the complete coating section.
• You may need to fix leaks or curves with a sanding block.