4 Common Exterior Painting Mistakes to Avoid for Homeowners

To paint your home’s exterior, all you need to do is watch a few HGTV episodes first, right?

Unfortunately, many homeowners underestimate the complexity of painting the home’s exterior walls. This can lead to lots of exterior painting results, something no one wants.

Do you know what to watch out for when painting your home? To learn more, keep reading to find four common exterior painting mistakes, plus how to avoid them.

1. Neglecting to Prepare the Home

When painting home exteriors, it’s not as simple as just opening a can of paint and getting started! No, first you need to prepare the home.

This involves sanding, scraping off the old paint, cleaning the home’s walls, and applying primer. Paint won’t stick well to dirty or uneven surfaces, so your home won’t look great if you skip these steps.

2. Selecting the Wrong Color

Your house would look great in black, right? Actually, be careful when selecting paint color options, as what looks good on the cover of a home decor magazine won’t necessarily look amazing on your own home.

Small homes will look larger if you go for a light color, but also consider any neighborhood or HOA requirements when deciding on color choices.

Need some inspiration? If so, a few popular home colors for 2022 include neutrals like cream or pale yellow, along with soft green or moody gray.

3. Going too Fast

Many people make the mistake of painting their home quickly, due to limited time. You have a busy weekend, so you want to get your house painting project done as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, rushing often leads to mistakes or poor results. If you’re short on time, a better option is to hire house painting contractors who will take the time to do the job properly.

They’ll also arrive with all of the necessary exterior painting tools, saving you the time and money of going out to buy them.

4. Leaving the Cans Open

It’s a rookie error, but most of us have done it—leaving the paint can lids off or forgetting to properly close them.

Paint is expensive and it can also dry out very fast if not sealed. This can quickly ruin your paint, especially if left in direct sunlight. Avoid this by always sealing your paint cans properly when you take a break.

Avoid These Exterior Painting Mistakes and Your Home Will Look Brand-New

You don’t need to be a professional to paint your own home, but you do need to avoid these common exterior painting mistakes. Otherwise, you’re not going to be happy with the results.

To stop yourself from making any mistakes, do plenty of research on how to paint a home or hire a house painting service to do the job for you.

It’s worth the time and effort, as a beautifully-painted exterior will add value to your home and make you smile each time you pull into the driveway!

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