How to Paint Your House

By Steve Maxwell
Published on August 1, 2007
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Learn how to paint your house. A well painted house adds value to any neighborhood.
Learn how to paint your house. A well painted house adds value to any neighborhood.
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For best exterior painting results, use acrylic latex paint and synthetic bristle brushes.
For best exterior painting results, use acrylic latex paint and synthetic bristle brushes.
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You can use a wire wheel attached to an angle grinder to remove loose paint.
You can use a wire wheel attached to an angle grinder to remove loose paint.
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Use infrared paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
Use infrared paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
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You can use a wire wheel attached to an angle grinder to remove loose paint.
You can use a wire wheel attached to an angle grinder to remove loose paint.
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Use chemical paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
Use chemical paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
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Use infrared paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
Use infrared paint strippers to soften old paint, then remove it with a scraper. Keep a dropcloth on the ground to prevent paint from getting into the soil. Dispose of latex paint scrapings in the trash. Lead paint requires disposal as toxic waste.
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A high-volume, low-pressure sprayer will make painting your house easier and quicker.
A high-volume, low-pressure sprayer will make painting your house easier and quicker.
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For less work, why not leave wood siding unpainted, allowing it to age naturally to a soft gray? Add a little white trim and your low-maintenance barn or home will look terrific. 
For less work, why not leave wood siding unpainted, allowing it to age naturally to a soft gray? Add a little white trim and your low-maintenance barn or home will look terrific. 
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Dispose of lead paint scrapings as toxic waste.
Dispose of lead paint scrapings as toxic waste.
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Lifetime Wood Treatment comes as a powder. You mix it with water and then apply. www.valhalco.com 
Lifetime Wood Treatment comes as a powder. You mix it with water and then apply. www.valhalco.com 

Follow this expert advice, learn how to paint your house and maximize the life of your outdoor paint.

How to Paint Your House

Freshly painted outdoor wood is a beautiful thing. Too bad it doesn’t last. After five, 10 or 15 years of exposure, siding, trim and fences need a recharge — that’s just the way it is. But painting outdoor wood, especially an entire home, can be a high stakes game: Do it right and your efforts will endure two or three times longer than if you cut corners. That’s why a little extra know-how and effort is so worthwhile.

Beauty does matter, of course, and to understand the essentials behind a long-lasting outdoor paint job, you need to recognize the three forces that will work against you: sunshine, moisture and temperature fluctuations.

These are the archenemies of outdoor paint. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation breaks down surface paint layers, while seasonal expansion and contraction of underlying wood causes paint films to crack. Flaking, bubbling and peeling follows shortly behind as water sneaks in behind the paint, breaking its bond to the wood. Getting the most from an exterior paint depends on thwarting these three forces.

By the way, you may be surprised to learn that exterior paints and stains do not enhance the rot resistance of wood in any meaningful way. In fact, in some cases they can even trap moisture and promote rot. We’ve been conditioned to think otherwise in an effort to boost product sales. The fact is that exterior wood finishing is mostly about aesthetics. According to the University Extension office of Iowa State University, “The simplest and most economical way of finishing an exterior wood surface is to allow it to weather naturally. Wood exposed to the weather will undergo color changes during transition from the original to the final gray color.” For more on this, download Finishing Exterior Wood Surfaces. Got a new barn or outbuilding? Letting the surface weather naturally or painting only the trim is a viable option. Bare barns everywhere stand as testimony to the enduring qualities of unfinished exterior wood. (See photo in the Image Gallery.)

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