Painting Your House Painting your house yourself greatly reduces the cost and, if done with care and patience, the finished product will look as good as that produced by a professional contractor.   A house-painting project breaks naturally into two stages: preparing the surfaces, and applying the paint. In most cases, the preparation work is more time-consuming than the application. But the investment of time is reflected in an even and long-lasting painted finish.

Planning and timing are critical elements in a painting project. Try to tackle only one side of your house at a time. Scraping and sanding the old paint exposes your siding to the elements, which can cause wood pores to become plugged-resulting in a poor bond with the paint. Cover the siding with primer and paint as soon as you finish the preparation.

When applied correctly over a well-prepared, primed surface, paint can last 10 years or more, especially with regular maintenance. By touching up minor problems, like chips or localized flaking, you can prevent water from building up beneath the surface. Cracks and alligatoring should be sanded, primed, and painted as soon as they occur. Left uncorrected, they invite mildew formation, leading to staining and the eventual failure of the paint. Pressure washing your siding should be the cornerstone of your annual maintenance program.

Like any project that involves the use of ladders or scaffolding, painting your house requires good safety practices.

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Safety Warning:
Lead-based paint is a hazardous material: its handling and disposal are strictly regulated. Especially if your home was built before 1960, you should test the paint for lead using a lead-testing kit (available at building centers and paint stores). Call your local building inspector or waste management department for information on handling and disposing of lead paint.