DIY 101: How to Paint Your Home’s Exterior
Give your house a fresh look.
Many of us have lived for years with exterior home colors that we don’t like because it can be cost-prohibitive to have it professionally painted, and doing it ourselves seems overwhelming.
Painting the exterior of your home is a big job, but it’s absolutely something an average DIYer should be able to tackle! With a little patience (and a fair amount of elbow grease), you can change the exterior of your home. More than anything, painting your home’s exterior just requires a lot of patience and willingness to do some hard work. If you have a bit of basic knowledge about how to paint interior spaces, you should be able to tackle this job as well!
Here are our top five tips and things to keep in mind when you’re tackling exterior painting jobs
1. You CAN do it!
Painting exteriors can feel really intimidating, but it’s important to remember that it’s not all that much different from a regular interior paint job. It’s just a different environment and a (much) bigger canvas! Choose to begin work on a week where the weather won’t be too hot or cold (generally speaking, you shouldn’t paint in temperatures higher than 90 degrees or lower than 50 degrees) and when there isn’t any rain in the forecast.
2. Prep work is key.
If you take the time to cover windows and doors, repair any cracked siding or holes, and give your home a really deep clean before starting, it will make the finished result so much more polished and professional-looking. You should plan to spend at least one to two days of your working time on prep work to ensure the best possible finish. Use caulk to fill in cracks or small holes in your siding, pressure wash the entire house (and give it a solid 24 hours to dry), and thoroughly tape off all windows, trims, doors, and gutters before starting!
Choosing a cheap paint will always end up costing you more time – and sometimes more money! A lower quality paint won’t provide great coverage, which means you’ll likely end up needing more coats than you would with a higher-quality option. You may also find that it doesn’t hold up as well over time, leading to you needing to put a fresh coat of paint on your home sooner than you’d like. Ask for advice from workers at the paint counter at your local store who will have a lot of knowledge about the best type of paint for the job, so be sure to utilize their expertise!
4. Use a paint sprayer!
If you purchase or even rent a large paint sprayer meant for exterior projects, your working time will be cut in half – or more! Paint sprayers will give you a more even coverage, they’ll make the job go much faster, and they’ll give you a finish that feels professional. Just be sure to read the instruction manual and practice on a scrap piece of wood before you begin working. There is a small learning curve to using a paint sprayer, but the time saved is worth the time it takes to learn!
5. Paint the siding first then trim.
If you plan to paint your trim a different color from your siding, you’ll find that it’s easiest to paint your siding first. You won’t need to worry much about getting any overspray on the trim as you work, which eliminates quite a bit of prep work. Once the siding has been painted and is fully dry, you can come back and paint the trim. Depending on how much trim you have, you may find it’s faster to paint the trim by hand than to tape off all of the siding to spray it.
If you go into the project with a solid plan (and a few good podcasts to listen to while you work), you’ll find that painting your home’s exterior is much less intimidating than you may have thought it would be!. And when the finished result makes you smile every time you come home, It’ll feel worth the effort!
Amanda Hendrix is the blogger behind Love & Renovations, a site all about how to make your house a home, even if you don't have any DIY experience. Amanda shares real life, accessible projects with all of the messes, mishaps, and fun along the way!
