A fresh coat of paint is one of the best ways to make the outside of your house look better. Before you start painting, make sure you've thouroughly prepped the exterior. Depending on how big your house is, the job might take a few days to complete, so watch the weather forecast, and make sure it will be clear for a few days
First you'll want to gather a few supplies. These include:
exterior paint
stir sticks
rollers
roller covers
brushes
rollerg grid
drop cloths
buckets for mixing
rope
ladder hooks
towels
masking supplies
plastic wrap
To figure out how much paint you need, calculate the square footage of each side of your house - typically a high quality paint will cover about 400 square feet. If you need help, consider getting a quote from a local painting company, then just copy over the calculations for your own estimate. Make sure you buy enough to cover two thin coats - and I'd recommend using an acrylic latex-based paint because it dries more quickly, cleans up with water, and is resistant to fading. Be sure to cover any plants or garden beds near your work area, then just move the drop cloth around as you move your way through the house. It's best to paint from top down, and side to side.
If you need to take your tools with you, use an extra 5 gallon bucket and the rope to easily access your supplies while up on the ladder. I like to keep an extra dry brush with me - any case I see any dust or debris on the painting service.
Whether planning to use a brush or roller for the bulk of the surface area, start with a brush and paint a few inches around the trim - don't forget the bottom edge of the siding. If you're going to use a brush, work only as far as you can reach at a time, apply the paint in even strokes, and always finish back into the wet paint, or back brush. Dont lay the paint on too thick, or it will drip, or won't dry completely - it's best to do two thin coats for maximum coverage.
Using a roller, apply the paint to the face - but don't overload, just enough to cover the siding. You can also a roller grid in your bucket to load the right amount of paint onto the roller. Once youve covered a small section, lightly go across it again with the roller to feather out any excess paint - keep working from side to side, top to bottom, until all the siding on one side is painted - then move on to the next side of the house.
If you need to take a break, use the plastic wrap to cover your brushes or rollers and keep them out of direct sunlight. Once the paint on the siding has dried, it's time to move on to the trim. Use masking tape to cover the edges of the siding, and using a trim brush, work from the top down - dont forrget to finish you strokes back into the paint. After two light coats, remove your masking tape. While the paint is drying, pass over the remainder of the home to check for any missed spots or poor coverage.
Now that you've finished, it's time for clean up. Check the paint can for any specific instructions, but general guidelines include rinsing thoroughly under a heavy flow of water (like a hose) or following instructions on the back of paint thinner or acetone - dilution is typically a good idea.
