Painting your home’s exterior can be done by most homeowners but the question is, do they have the right equipment and knowledge to do it? While we admire the effort, in most cases painting a home properly requires equipment and know-how your average homeowner may not possess.

The biggest takeaway is understanding that a good paint job isn’t just getting the color on, it’s all about the preparation and preservation of the home and all materials and surfaces involved. Most homes have eaves and fascia that are made of wood. This is one part of the home exterior that is likely the most important. Wood rots, termite damage and overall abuse from Mother Nature can cause the wood to deteriorate over time.

Using the right products for patching and caulking is crucial to a great finished product. The price difference can vary from $18 to $175 depending on what products you use. At RJM Painting, we urged that you please don’t skimp on your biggest investment that you worked your whole life for (your home). One of the biggest distinguishing factors that we take pride in as a painting company is our deep consideration of what products we choose to use in all of our painting jobs. As discussed earlier, spending a few extra dollars upfront on the best materials to coat and paint surfaces with can go a long way in preventing parts of your home from falling into disrepair with age.

Landscaping Home Before Painting

Landscape cut back is crucial for painting your home’s exterior in order to get paint where it’s needed most which is near the weep screed. The weep screed is the metal at the bottom of the siding, stucco or any other exterior substrate to allow water to escape. The desired minimum is one foot of clearing.

Pressure Washing Home Exterior Before Painting

Pressure washing is needed to remove all the debris from the home to allow the prep work to be perfect and allow the primer and finish to adhere properly.

Cleaning Up Efflorescence

Efflorescence is basically the stucco breaking down and turning into a chalky mess. This is when you know that your home is breaking down. A special primer is needed after pressure washing to adhere and stop the stucco or brick from breaking down. Think of planter boxes with stucco on the outside of them and bubbling. The inside was never sealed and the water wants a way out.

Wood

All wood surfaces should receive a thorough test to see what is rotten and what is not. Most homes have minor wood rot and termite damage. These problems are usually an easy fix using a 3 part wood repair system. That’s where the $175 comes in on the prep work–definitely cheaper than a carpenter! A high-grade primer should be applied to adhere to and block stains before the finish is applied. Finish should be at least a semi-gloss depending on the substrate.

Stucco/Siding

After priming the home a specific masonry finish should be applied. The products we use are specifically designed for stucco, siding, and wood. The higher-end products come in a variety of sheens. If the product that is being applied to your home does not have a sheen then you hired the wrong contractor.

Siding comes in many varieties, be it concrete, wood, or MDO it’s the same prep work as the fascia and eaves. Prep work is the key to everything. This is 90% of painting the exterior of a home.

Exterior Painting Company South Orange County

RJM Painting provides a range of painting and finishing services in the South Orange County area of California. Let RJM Painting handle painting your home’s exterior or business exterior! We utilize only the finest coatings, primers, paints, and materials to get the job done. We do this because we truly care about the longevity of your investment and we know that good painting experience and the right materials for the job will offer a result that everyone is happy with!

Contact us today via phone or fill out a form online and we’ll be happy to get back to you and answer any questions you may have.