Need To Paint Your Exterior Porch? What To Know
A painted exterior porch can be difficult to keep up with. It can be difficult to keep clean and with the weather changes, it can begin to peel or show wear after just a few years. This is why you need to keep up with painting it, although the chore of painting a porch can also be a bit of a pain. If you have a porch that is painted but needs a new coat, you should hire a professional house painting service to get the job done for you. If you are up to the task, read on for helpful tips to get the job done.
Clean It Thoroughly
You should clean your porch thoroughly to remove the grime and dirt that has built up over the last handful of years. There may be quite a bit of dirt, especially in the cracks and crevices and on railings or banisters. These areas can be cleaned with a gentle soap such as watered-down dish detergent, or you can use a porch cleaner, but it may take some of the old paint off. In this case, you may have to sand down parts of your porch as well, and be sure you remove the cleaner thoroughly before you begin to paint.
Sand Down The Porch
You may have to sand down your porch in the areas where it has begun to peel or where the old paint has blistered. If you do not do this, the new paint will not adhere properly, and you will end up with peeling paint. You can sand it down with a palm sander, but if you have a large porch, you may be in for quite a task. Using a pressure washer to remove all of the old paint is also an option, although, this again, can be a lot of work if you have a larger porch to work with. No matter which option you choose, the old paint needs to be smoothed out to prevent future peeling.
Painting Your Porch
When you begin to paint your porch, you need to be sure you have taped off anywhere that you do not want to get paint splattered onto. You should use a drop cloth as well to prevent getting paint onto the floor of your porch. If you are using a paint sprayer, or a roller and paintbrush, you need to be careful when painting to prevent the paint from splattering everywhere. Paint with exterior paint for the best results and to help hold up to the exterior elements. Apply a first coat, then a second one if necessary.
If you have an exterior porch that is in need of a new paint job, you should hire a professional to do this work for you. The prep work and the painting itself can be a big task. Hire a professional to ensure it is done correctly.