Exterior painting is the most effective, fast and affordable way to revive and protect the beauty of a house. Painting the whole hose can be tedious; however, the project can be accomplished in less than two weeks.

Professional painters charge between $1000 and $4500 or even. On the other hand, do it yourself house painting can significantly reduce the labor coast but will require serious effort.

In this post, we are going to discuss ten important rules that will not only make the house painting easy but also give you a long lasting and beautiful coat.

1. Avoid cheap quality material
Using top quality paint that has a lifetime warranty against imperfections in finished painting will last longer and cover your walls better that cheap and poor quality paint.
Be sure to purchase 100% acrylic paint, which may cost you between $35 and $70. Top brands in the market include Clark + Kensington exterior paint, Sherwin-Williams Duration exterior paint and Behr Premium Plus Ultra exterior paint.

2. Do sufficient preparation
Before painting your wall, make sure it is clean, dry and free of flakes or peelings. You may consider sanding or scrapping for the paint to adhere properly.

Prepare your wall by washing it using a hose and scrubbing brush and water with detergent. If you opt to use the pressure washer, ensure the water does not lodge deep in the joints or erode the wood surface due to high pressure.

Use a scraper to remove loose flakes of paint and then a random-orbit sander to remove tougher paints and to smooth the wall. Do not focus on removing the whole paint. Focus on achieving a smooth surface.

Fill all the cracks and holes and allow the filler to dry before sanding again. Brush off any dust, caulk the joints and give it time to dry then apply primer.

3. Avoid lead paints
Some paints used before 1978 contained lead which forms chips or lead dust that are harmful to human life. Nowadays, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency recommends consultation with local lead-safe certified contractors to stay safe from lead paints.

4. Avoid cheap coats of paint
For bare wood or metal surfaces, use a top-quality oil alkyd primer as the base coat. You can opt to tint the primer towards the finished color to avoid two finish coats or tint the primer using a contrasting color to point out spots with the insufficient final coating.

5. Use the appropriate tools
Use a high-quality brush and roller or rent an airless sprayer from tool rental outlets for good results.Make sure you are well acquainted with the airless spray and do self-check on a small section of the wall. Use a 5-gallon bucket and a paint strainer to avoid clogging the sprayer with paint.

6. Work within your abilities
Do not proceed to do house painting by yourself if you do not have the tools, stamina, and skills especially if your house is large and in bad condition.

7. Paint during temperate weather conditions
Avoid painting your house during windy and dusty weather, hot days or rainy days. Check the weather focus and target temperatures from 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 50 degrees hinder proper adhering to the surface while hot weather drys the paint extremely fast. Dampness also bubbles the surface giving it a peeled finish.

8. Cover all surfaces that are not to be painted
The walkway, the garden, the deck, the shrubs, and patios should be properly covered to protect them from spills and splatters. Plastic sheeting or drop cloth can be sued to protect the surfaces to save you from clean up problems.

9. Use the appropriate painting techniques
For learners, make sure you do enough research both online and from experts before commencing painting your house. You should understand basics such as painting from up downwards and taping the windows and doors before painting the trim. These painting techniques will ensure you produce a finer finish.

10. Allow for bidding and get references if you are hiring a professional
Professional painters are expensive hence need to get the best in the market with a favorable price quotation. You can check with previously done work before hiring a painting professional to inspect his or her artistry.