A new coat of exterior paint is the best way to improve your home’s curb appeal and maintain its siding. Preparing your home for paint is just as important as the actual painting project itself. You want your home’s exterior paint to look nice and last as long as possible. That’s why it’s essential to remove the old paint properly.
At Patrick’s Painting, a leading Olathe exterior home painter, we want to help your home look its best. One of the most effective ways to do this is a new coat of exterior paint. This is best done by removing the old paint before applying the new. Below are tips from an exterior home painter in Olathe on properly removing old exterior home paint.
Start with Assessing the Condition of the Old Paint
According to expert painting contractors, the first place to start is by assessing the condition of your home’s old exterior paint. A house with twenty-year-old exterior paint will require a different preparation process than a home that was only painted three years ago. Regardless of how old the paint is, you should always remove any that is flaking or chipping.
A residential painter in Olathe suggests scuffing the surface of your old exterior paint with sandpaper. This will create a base for the old paint. You don’t necessarily have to focus on all the paint, just the areas where the paint is already peeling or could peel easily.
Tools You Will Need to Remove the Paint
According to an Olathe residential painter, removing the paint will be quicker and more effective if you use the correct tools. Using just a paint scraper can take too long, especially if you remove paint from the entire house. Professional painters suggest using a putty knife, wire brush, paint scraper, or all three. You can also use power tools such as sandpaper attachments for a drill if needed.
Best Ways to Remove Old Paint from Your Home
There are three effective ways to remove old exterior paint from your home:
- Heat
- Chemicals
- Power Washing
Heat
A painting company in Olathe might use a heat gun or infrared paint remover to quickly remove the old paint from your home. This is one of the safer methods because it doesn’t involve chemicals or sandpaper. However, you should always wear the proper protective gear and be cautious when handling the heat gun. You should call a professional if your old paint is made from lead.
Chemicals
Chemical paint strippers are a quick and effective way to remove peeling paint from your home. Combined with sandpaper, they can help you remove old paint and leave behind a smooth surface. However, using chemical removers can be costly and dangerous. You should always wear proper protective gear and remove the chemicals with a paint scraper.
Power Washing
According to an Olathe painting company, power washing shouldn’t be the only way you remove the old paint. While this is great for removing any old and flaking paint, it won’t still adhere to the home. Experts suggest starting the removal process with a power wash, using either heat or chemicals to remove the old paint, and then power rewashing your home. This ensures that your home is clean and ready for the new layer of paint.
Are You Looking to Work with a Leading Olathe Exterior Home Painter?
At Patrick’s Painting Company, our goal is to be your trusted exterior home painter in Olathe. Our team of professional exterior home painters wants to help your home stand out from the rest. We will prep, paint, and finish your home with the quality and service you expect from one of the best painting companies in Olathe.
Give us a call today at (913) 333-7872 or contact us online to schedule an estimate.