How to Prime the Exterior of a home

How to Prime the Exterior of a home

The home’s exterior requires a comprehensive planning before finish coats of paint go on. Primer is the final step in the planning procedure. Primer helps seal bare wood, and it offers a better bonding surface for finish paint than does unfinished wood. Several primers are even invented to hold back obstinate stains as well as resins in woods like cedar or pine. Though you can use an oil-based primer when applying finish coats of either oil- or water-based finishes, make certain to read the instructions on both paints and primers to ensure reliability.

Wash the outside surface of the home with warm, soapy water and a sponge. As an alternative, you may use a power washer to accomplish a heavy cleaning. But some experts advise that power washing includes consequences, like broken windows from the strong spray, water that seeps into little cracks in the timber only to resurface later as blistering paint, or even gouged timber.

Permit the outside surface to dry for at least a day prior to scraping loose paint. Hammer in almost any protruding nails as you’re awaiting outside surfaces to dry.

Scrape off peeling, chipping or loose paint from the surface using a paint scraper. Work the scraper forth and back and in precisely the same direction as the grain of the timber. Be careful not to function with the scraper too much in one place. It may shred wood and abandon fine fibers supporting that stick up like hairs. Sand down these fibers with 200-grit sandpaper if they do appear.

Fill cracks and gaps around windows or doors with a paintable, exterior grade caulk. For gouges or huge holes in timber (like those created by woodpeckers), then choose a wood filler, then sand the filler despite the surface once it dries.

Apply primer to all of the bare spots created by washing, sanding and scraping. Flow the primer on with even strokes and a broad brush. A 3-inch brush works well for this.

Wait for the primer to dry before applying finish coats of paint — usually per day. Some painting and home improvement specialists suggest that you just primer what you’ll be able to finish coat within one day. This advice assumes that a primer’s best adhesion properties might be obtained when completing as long as possible to some dried and primed surface.

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