Exterior Painting

Painting the exterior of your house is a huge job. But the rewards are great too. With a minimum investment in tools and materials, you’ll save thousands of dollars, extend the life of your siding and trim and increase the value of your home. Best of all, you’ll make it look like new again.

While you may spend less than $1,000 on painting tools and materials, the same job done by a pro could easily cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more. The savings come at a cost, though. A good paint job requires countless hours of careful preparation. Plan to devote an entire summer to prepare and paint even a medium-size house.

Completing a top-quality exterior paint job requires more than patience and perseverance. You’ll need a sharp eye, a steady hand and a bit of practice to paint crisp, straight lines. In addition, you’ll need the strength to move and set up tall ladders, and the confidence to work from them once they’re in place.

Applying topcoats (the final coats of paint) doesn’t require much equipment beyond what you’ve already accumulated for scraping and priming. We recommend buying at least two top-quality synthetic-bristle brushes for applying the latex paint: one 4-in.a straight-bristled brush ($15 to $20) for large areas and a 1-1/2 in. angled sash brush ($9 to $12) for detail work.

For applying paint to large areas of shingles, stucco or brick, buy a roller setup consisting of a heavy duty roller cage (this is the handle part and costs about $8); top-quality 1/2-in. nap roller covers, one for each color ($4 each -- you’ll wash and reuse them); and a roller screen ($2; Photo 4). Standard 9-in. rollers are good for large, flat areas. Buy the 7-in. size for rolling siding and other narrow areas if your house has them. You’ll also need a few clean 1-gallon paint cans and a clean 5-gallon bucket. Having a boom box on hand could just save your mind.

Buy a quart of each color you’ve chosen and paint the entire color scheme on a small area of your house before committing to gallons.

If you don’t like the results, change the colors and try again.

Next take rough measurements of your house, noting the type of surface, for example, stucco, cedar shingles or smooth siding. Count the doors and windows. With this information, paint store employees can help you calculate the amount of paint you’ll need. Plan on applying two coats of acrylic latex paint over the primer.

Buy the best paint you can afford. Good-quality paint is easier to apply, covers better and lasts longer. We recommend buying paint with a slight sheen, either satin or eggshell. It’s more fade resistant and easier to clean than flat paint.

• Avoid painting in direct sunlight. The heat dries the paint too fast, making it nearly impossible to avoid lap marks. It can even cause blistering and peeling.

• Avoid painting on very windy days. The wind causes the paint to dry too fast and can blow dirt into wet paint.

• Don’t apply latex paint when the temperature is below 50 degrees F unless it’s formulated for cold-weather application. Read the label to be sure.

• Don’t paint when there’s a chance of rain.