Deciding to paint your home’s roof and exterior can truly make a transformation of how it all looks. It’s both a time- and cost-effective project that is bound to have satisfying results. A fresh coat of quality paint protects your home from the rain, wind, and sun. If you do the paint job properly, you will be saving your home’s exterior for about 15 years. This, of course, means that you should properly prepare it for repainting and use the best-quality materials which you are going to carefully apply. In this article, we are going to discuss some DIY roof and exterior painting tips that you should make use of.
Before you get down to painting, you need to prepare the exterior for the job. A good surface for the paint is of an essence. If you are going for a stucco exterior, you need to make sure that it cures for at least 28 days. Uncured stucco may result in chalky and dusty walls. You can speed up the process by spraying the stucco with a hose every day. This way, the curing process might take about 10 days. Make sure that you check your exterior trim and walls for peeling, chipping, and mildew. Getting rid of these things is essential before you start the paint job.
Every type of roof requires its own kind of maintenance. This is why it is necessary that you know what your roof is made of before you get down to painting it. For example, a flat roof often comes up with leaks, so regular waterproofing and painting maintenance is necessary. A corrugated iron roof is simple to repaint, but it tends to rust, so it is essential that you pay attention to it. Tiled roofs are known for their durability, but can be affected by storms and bad weather. This is why checking for broken or cracked tiles is necessary before applying paint to it.
In order to get the best paint job, you need to prime your exterior with a high-quality sealer. A sealer that is good to go is one that has high resin content. It is applied on top of the old paint, makes sure that everything is locked in place, and therefore makes a good surface for applying the paint. Keep in mind that paint doesn’t stick to a dusty surface, so if your walls are chalky or dusty, get a chalky sealer. Latex primer is good for vinyl and wood siding. Hot stucco primer is great for a stucco surface that hasn’t completely cured yet.
Before the roof is painted, it needs to be properly cleaned and repaired. If you have a concrete or a cement tile roof, it is possible that there are leaks, or maybe you haven’t checked its waterproofing for a while. Therefore, it is necessary that you use a waterproofing product to take care of it. According to what roof painting professionals say, this will make sure that your roof is safe and good-looking for up to 5 years. A corrugated iron roof needs a proper metal cleaning product to be cleaned. Afterward, a metal primer needs to be applied so that the paint can properly stick to it.
The best paint that you can find out there for your roof and exterior is 100% acrylic latex. It consists out of pigments that give the color, binders that stick the pigments to the wall, and solvents that make the paint spreadable. Once you have painted your exterior and roof, the solvent will dissolve, and the pigments and binders will remain. High-quality paints have good binders that hold the pigments tight for a longer period of time. Furthermore, they are high in volume solids. These are generally the paints marked as “premium”.
Spraying and back-rolling are the best way to do the paint job. One person spreads the paint over the surface with a sprayer, while another runs a roller over the paint. The result is an even finish, especially on a surface such as stucco. This is a great solution because it’s quick due to spraying, and it gets an even result due to the roller. If you are on the budget, you can apply a second coat of paint.
If you do the paint job properly, you will create a protective shell for your home that will last for a long time. It’s all about choosing high-quality materials and applying them properly. Follow these 6 tips to make sure that your roof and exterior are painted as best as possible.
