House Painting and the Importance of Paint Removal

If you are getting ready to paint your home, you may need to tackle the job of paint removal first. House painting professionals know that proper preparation is the key to getting your paint job to last. If you do not properly prepare the layer under the one you are able to add, the new paint will chip and flake much more quickly.

The first step is determining if you need to remove the old paint. Take a walk around your home, and see whether your old paint is peeling, flaking, or comes off in a fine powder when you rub your hand across it. If it is, then it will need to be stripped before house painting can begin.

If stripping paint leaves you with images of crawling all over your home’s exterior with sand paper in hand, do not worry. While sanding can be an effective way to remove paint from something, there are far simpler ways to do so when you are getting ready to paint your home. 

If you do need to strip the paint, you will first need to determine what type of material the siding is made out of. If it is something hard, like metal, then you can probably sandblast the old paint off. However, if it is something softer, like fiberglass, you will need to be more careful. There are softer particles you can use in this regard, so talk to a home improvement professional about what they recommend for the task you are about to conquer. 

Sometimes, a power washer can be the tool you need to remove paint off of soft surfaces, like wood or stone. Power washers send a spray of water at a very high pressure, and this effectively blasts off the paint without the abrasiveness of the sandblaster. You can rent a power washer from your local home improvement store for very little money if you do not have one. You may want to practice using it by power washing your deck or driveway to ensure you know how to handle it, but after an hour or so, you should be comfortable enough to clean off your home’s exterior. 

Make sure you realize that a power washer is very powerful. You may damage the siding if you are not careful with the amount of pressure you use. Always test a small area first, and use a lower pressure than you think you need. You can always turn up the pressure, but turning it down after you have already damaged something is too late. 

Remember, if you do not properly remove the paint on your home before you begin the house painting task, you are going to regret it. Not only will some of the flakes and divots probably show through on your finished paint job, but you will also find that it does not last near as long as you would like. To paint like a professional, you have to prepare the surface first.