It's Time To Do Some Caulking

It's time to begin caulking.  Walk around the house and look for areas that need to be sealed or for old caulk that needs to be replaced.  You can pull out old caulk with a putty knife or something relatively sharp.  Next, don't buy the most expensive caulks in the store.  These are usually  highly specialized sealants...something you will not need to use.

I will generally always use a flexible, adhesive, paintable silicone caulk.  Usually a mid priced caulk is more than sufficient and will be very satisfactory for your needs.  At this point, I recommend a paint store that you think you can trust.  You don't need to be "oversold" and buying things you simply do not need.

With caulk in hand cut the tip at about 45 degrees.  The opening in the end once cut should be no larger than a quarter of an inch.  Even that is a bit large for me.  I always keep a damp rag or old towel on hand when caulking.  When drawing or pulling the gun down a joint or crack, hold the gun at an angle and pull down steadily.  You will get the hang of it after a few tries.

Use your fingers to smooth out your bead of caulk you applied.  Wipe as much excess caulking from your joint as you can.  The seal and finished paint job will look so much better.  Excess caulk left to dry on the house will stick out like a sore thumb after the new paint is applied.  Remember,  don't hurry.  Once through simply wipe and rinse your hands and rags or tools in some water.  Clean up is a snap.

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Wait. There's More Prep Work...

Once you've throughly washed your home and replaced or repaired all rotten or damaged wood, it's time for the next phase.  Sanding and prepping require, in my experience, the most amount of time and labor when painting a house.  You can buy the finest acrylic latex or oils on the market, and neither will last anytime if you don't spend the time to prep properly.  It's essential!

I use a variety of metal scrapers.  Some painters tend to use a really sharp scraping tool, but it tends to gouge the wood if you are not really careful.  I always use a blade with a rounded or thin squared edge.  They do the job and without gouging the wood.  While I'm thinking about scrapers please don't use them to scrape paint from windows.  You can crack a window quickly because too much pressure is required to clean off the paint.  Razors only please...

I highly recommend that you "feather" or sand the spot(s) where you have scraped.  This will not only create a smoother, and hence less noticable, transition from old paint to bare wood, but it will further remove paint around the scraped area so that the new paint cannot get under the edges and curl once dry.  Some folks use a sanding sponge.  Wet or dry is fine.  Personally, I always ripped off a piece of #80 and #120 paper to use.  If you have scraped throughly then the #120 grit paper will probably be all you need to feather it out.

Take your time and prep it correctly.  That is the main secret to a paint job that will bond well and adhere for several years.  Once that stage is complete then it's time to move on to another prepping stage.  Don't worry we will get to the painting soon.  These stages really need to be followed even though you may be getting tired or bored or both.  So get with it, and I will see you back in a couple of days.

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If Your Attitude Is Rotten, Then So May Be Your Home.

Does this quality of work (see insert), or lack thereof, remind you of some you've done?  Afterall, it will save you time and money to leave it as is.  Besides bushes are in front of it.  Nobody will see it anyway.  If I were interested in buying a home and I saw this, it would make me suspect as to the care and quality the homeowner put into his house.

In short don't take short cuts--even if on your own home.  It's a bad habit to get into.  Especially when it comes to painting your house.  A good exterior paint job is essential for your home's well being.  Would you allow your roof to leak or have moisture seep through unsealed windows?  Unlikely I would hope. 

Painting your home correctly the first time you do it can save even more time and effort, and especially money, in the long run.  You will learn to do it properly.  You will not accept inferior quality of work either.  Not once you get the hang of it.  So don't start off on the wrong foot and get sloppy or cut corners.  You will simply be wasting your valuable time.

In the case above, replace the shutters as they rot or simply fail.  It's the same with all other wood on your home.  Would you leave a rotten facia or soffet piece in place?  That will only allow rotting to become worse and eventually invade the walls or attic.  So after getting your home all spruced up with a good cleaning, check for damage to the home in the form of rotting, insects and broken pieces of siding or trim. 

If you dont' feel comfortable doing the carpentry aspect of your prep work then hire someone.  It's essential that these issues be taken care of before you can apply a really great paint job to your home... Something to ensure that you are protected from the elements for the next several years. 

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