Whether your planning to sell your house soon or just need a little change in your life, a fresh coat of exterior paint can really transform your Pasadena home. However, exterior paint tends to seem like an easy enough project until you get it started. Once you quickly realize the amount of hard work and knowledge really goes into this type of project you may get a little discouraged.

Don’t give up!

Though it certainly can be a lot of work, exterior painting can do wonders for your home. So before you run out there with the paint, here are a few dos and don’ts to get you on the right track with your exterior painting project.

DO

Do hire professionals if you can! Unless you’re an experienced and avid do-it-yourself type of person, you should hire a professional contractor. Exterior house painting can be complicated and is a very physically demanding job. Not only does it require a lot of hard work, but you also need to have a certain degree of experience and knowledge to be able to do the job right.

Do check the weather before you begin! It is always good to check your local weather reports to avoid painting on rainy, humid, or windy days. Painting in bad weather conditions will only hurt your ability to effectively get the job done.

Do choose your paint carefully! You need to make sure to choose the right paint for the job. Not every type of paint is made to weather the elements and may end up fading, peeling, or cracking way too quickly. For example, Latex is a great choice because it is UV resistant and long lasting. You also need to consider your choice of color too. After all, your probably not going to have to repainted again for awhile so make sure everyone is happy with it too.

DON’T

Don’t cut corners on the preparation work! In order to make sure that your paint project is done right, you need to make sure everything is ready for it. This means covering areas like bushes and decks with drop cloths and scraping off old cracking paint. However, if you’ve hired a professional contractor then a lot of this work will be done by them instead.

Don’t go the cheap route! If you want a good paint job, you need to choose only high quality paints so that it will last longer and ensure a smoother outcome. The same goes for hiring a professional contractor. It can be tempting to go for the cheap guys, but it is simply not worth it.

Do not start a paint job if you don’t have the time! Painting projects are not something that can be rushed. Make sure you have the time needed to do things properly. Even if your hiring professionals to do the work instead, make sure you don’t have any plans that may conflict with the job like parties.