Exterior Painting Tips

Weather Tips

• Refrain from painting when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.
• Avoid threatening weather – rain can ruin a fresh coat of paint.

How to Progress

• When starting a painting project, begin on the side of the house that will remain in the shade until you finish. Direct sunlight can cause paint to dry too quickly, and can cause lap marks and blistering.
• Work from the top down, painting gutters and eaves first if you want them to match the color of your siding.

Clapboard Surfaces

• With clapboard surfaces, work from side to side. Minimize lap marks by painting four to five boards across the house until you finish.
• On clapboard siding, begin your painting in the area where two boards overlap. Use the narrow side of the brush and force paint up under the lap.
• Coat as much of a board as you can comfortably reach, then flip to the wider portion of the brush and coat the surface of the board.

Caring for Your Brushes and Supplies

• When you take a break, wrap your brushes, rollers, and paint trays with plastic to keep paint from hardening or developing a skin. Be sure to replace the lids on any open paint cans.
• Eliminate excess paint by dragging the heel of the brush occasionally over the lip of the can. This helps prevent
  paint from building up on the brush heel.