Most people out there believe that exterior paint jobs are easy but the truth is that there is a constant increase in the number of improper prep jobs because of a clear lack of knowledge. Most people out there think about money instead of quality, which is a huge mistake on the long run.
When the paint job is improperly prepped, it will look quite great in the beginning but the product ends up failing in a shorter period of time, which leads to more money spent without an actual need. You have to be educated about how to properly prep your new paint job or be 100% sure that the hired contractor goes through the steps.
Pressure Washing
No matter what you may be tempted to believe, this is the really important step when preparing a paint job. You have to learn about how the past paint job was done because a lack of pressure washing usually leads to many different issues. In the event that the substrate is not properly cleaned of debris and dirt, paint and primer will not properly adhere. Make sure that you always use a really strong pressure washer, industrial strength. Look at the PSI and make sure that it is over 2,400.
Removing Loose Paint
According to Calgary Painters, after the substrate is pressure washed, there is a huge possibility that peeling paint was not completely removed. In this case, you have to scrape off all the loose points so that the primer can be applied on a completely flat surface that is clean. If you skip this step, you will end up with an area that has poor adhesion. The expected life of the paint will be much lower in this case.
Applying Prime
Most people try to save money and buy prime that is cheaper. Make sure that quality is as high as possible. There is a reason why some prime out there costs more. Using high quality primer is necessary instead of paint that also includes primer. The bare wood needs to always be primed with suitable wood based exterior primer so that you make sure that wood will be properly protected from the damaging effects of the elements.
The Top Coat
Saving money on paint is also something that is quite common and that is quite a bad idea. You have to look at this in the following way: if you spend 20 extra dollars and you gain a life frame for the paint that is longer by 5 years, is the investment worth it? Obviously, it is!
Materials always cost less than labor so you have to be sure that the contractor always uses high quality products. There are many homeowners that believe the contractor used high grade paint or stain when the truth is that they got something that was much cheaper. This is not a problem when you do the job but it can be a huge problem with some contractors.
The bottom line is that you need research. Talk to the contractor and see what paint job prep procedures are used. In the event that they are misleading or vague, you have to look for someone else. When you do the job yourself, you have to stay focused on the highest quality products since that is what helps the most.
