How to Prepare to Paint Your Home's Exterior

This is a general overview for painting the outside of your house - although much of what you'll need to know you'll find in other painting-related eHows. Here's what makes the exterior different.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Exterior Spackling
• A Large Brushes
• Drop Cloths
• House Paints
• Masking Tape
• Paint Rollers With Extension Pole
• Rags
• 5-gallon Buckets
• Primers
• Caulking Guns
• Ladders
• Putty Knives
• Sandpaper
• Scrapers
• Screwdriver Sets
• Silicone Caulk

1. Understand that because of weather, you must seal the outside of your house against water, as well as against wind, mildew, and general dampness and wear.

2. Estimate the amount of paint you'll need by multiplying the length of each wall by its height. Then add 25 to 30 percent. You'll use it. And what you don't use, you'll need as time goes by to do touch-ups. Each brand of paint will explain on the can how much it will cover.

3. Buy good paint. You generally get the quality you pay for - and price is how you know.

4. Get good, sturdy ladders. (You'll spend a lot of time on them). Make sure they're tall enough - you don't want to be teetering on the last step with a bucket full of paint.

5. Buy good brushes and rollers; ones used for exteriors are generally less delicately built and shaped than those used inside a house.

6. Buy plenty of sandpaper, scrapers, exterior-grade putty, and exterior-grade caulk.

7. Buy lots of masking tape and drop cloths to protect plants, walkways, cars, and your neighbor's property.

8. Consider using alkyd (such as oil-based) paint for exterior woodwork. It dries slowly and is harder to use, but it's a lot tougher. Use it especially on areas that get wear, like doors and their trim, banisters, and porches.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're changing the existing color and are not absolutely sure you'll like what you've picked, buy the smallest amount of paint you can (probably a quart). Paint a section of trim, or a swath of wall (at least a few feet square), and see how the paint actually looks in place.

• Anything you use to patch or seal may take some time to dry before you can apply primer over it.

• If the exterior was painted before the 1980s, you may be dealing with lead-based paint, which is extremely hazardous, especially to children and pregnant women. Even if no one in your household matches that description, some of your neighbors will. Call The National Safety Council's Lead Information Center at 1-800/LEADFYI for instructions on how to deal with it safely. You may want to hire a licensed professional to prepare the outside before you paint it yourself.