It’s All About The Prep Work

Whenever you hire someone to paint your home, you are going to make a substantial investment and you will want to be sure to get the most out of your new paint job. To have a high quality paint job that will not only look good but will protect your house for years to come, the proper preparation is essential.You can use the best paint on the market today but if the right prep work is not completed first your paint will not last very long. The first thing that any Birmingham painting contractor should do before any paint is applied is to clean your home to ensure the paint will adhere properly to the surface. The best and most common way to do this is by using a pressure washer. Pressure washing should never be used to remove any loose or flaking paint, only to apply a good cleaning detergent and then to rinse the detergent off. Applying a hard, direct stream of water using a pressure washer to your siding can easily damage it and may do much more harm than good. I recommend using a cleaning solution mixture of TSP, which is tri sodium phosphate and household bleach to remove all mildew and dirt from the surface. Next, all loose paint should be removed by hand scraping. Any exposed bare wood remaining after scraping needs to be primed with an oil based exterior primer before any paint is applied. Also, another very critical step in the preparation process is caulking. Any cracks, holes, joints or anywhere that water could possibly enter should be caulked using a premium caulking. These are just a few of the most important steps that any painter should take before he begins painting your home. Remember, its much more than just the type of paint you are using, the proper prep work is vital to the longevity of your new paint job.