What Is the Best Way To Paint the Exterior of a House in San Diego?

Exterior paint is your home's first line of defense against the elements. Make sure it's done right!

Ready for a fresh coat of paint? Let's take a closer look at what's involved, key considerations, and a few common questions we hear from San Diego homeowners like you.

Pro Tips for Exterior House Painting

1. Plan the project carefully. When we estimate an exterior paint job, we take extensive photos, ask key questions, and factor in the age, type, square footage, and condition of your surfaces. We also look for wood rot, cracks in stucco, and other issues that need to be repaired before any exterior painting begins. These early steps are critical!
2. Consider the type of paint you need. Different types of paint are ideal for different surfaces. For example, you may need an elastomeric paint for your stucco siding: it's a flexible, high-build coating that's perfect for masonry surfaces. Research matters, and can save you from a world of frustration, or premature paint failure.
3. Prep the environment. Notice we didn't just say "prep the surfaces?" A professional painter knows how important it is to consider the environment as a whole, including covering landscaping, masking surrounding surfaces, and shielding against any overspray.
4. Prep the surfaces. Come armed with caulking, wood filler, scrapers, and your pressure washer. A deep clean is important, then (once things have dried) making repairs, applying fresh caulking, and scraping loose paint. Depending on the type of siding you have, sanding is important too. The whole goal is to create a smooth surface, receptive profile, and healthy substrate for the primer and paint to grip onto. If you have rotten wood, make sure you invest in carpentry repairs too, otherwise you're building on a crumbling foundation and wasting your time.
5. Prime. Sometimes a full prime is needed, but more often than not your project will only call for spot priming. This means applying a coat of primer over any bare wood or repairs.
6. Paint! Ready to kick off the painting process? Come armed with a paint sprayer, paint scrapers, paint brushes, and all the product you need for the job.

Is It Better To Brush or Spray Paint a House?

Good question! We use a combination of both techniques for exterior house painting, using a brush for cutting in around details and along edges, and spraying as a way to efficiently cover broad surfaces. Some siding also requires a combination of both: spraying down a coat of paint, then brushing or back-rolling for greater surface penetration. This is a technique we often use for exterior staining projects as well.

Does Spraying Paint Use More Paint?

Technically, yes. But the payback is in the efficiency and the coverage. Compared to multiple coats with roller or brush, spraying is definitely the preferred method for your exterior house painting project.

Can You Paint Over Old Paint?

If your house painting project involves an exterior surface that was already painted, and is just ready for a fresh look, you're probably wondering how much of that old paint needs to come off. Unless there's an adhesion issue, and the old exterior paint has failed for some reason, you only need to scrape away the loose paint and spot prime the surface. Here are a few additional factors to keep in mind, especially if you're painting an older San Diego home:

• Exposure to the elements (southern exposure is the most intense, and can require more extensive repair and prep)
• Accumulated paint (if we're talking 70 or 80 years of exterior painting jobs, a more intensive approach may be needed)
• Is lead paint present? If so, there are certain containment strategies that have to be in place by law.
• Color and temperature. Dark paint soaks up the sun the most, increasing the surface temperature. There can be a risk of blistering if the right steps are skipped over during the prep process.

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding?

Absolutely! There used to be limitations, but thanks to advancement in paint formulas, we can confidently paint vinyl siding with fantastic results.

Have More Exterior Painting Questions?

Contact us at Chism Brothers Painting! We've provided exceptional interior and exterior house painting in San Diego since 1982, and know how to do the process right.