8 Exterior Painting Mistakes Every Homeowner Should Avoid in St. Louis, MO

When painting the home, there are certain mistakes that can be made if one is not careful to avoid them.

The trick to avoiding the mistakes of course is to be aware of them beforehand and to therefore know that they are there to be dodged.

Here are eight exterior painting mistakes that every homeowner should avoid in St. Louis, MO.

 1. Not Starting With A Color Scheme

It is important to start a paint job with a color scheme — the kind of plan that indicates which color or colors you will be using  for the exterior of your home.

You can start with one color that will suit the main body of your home as well as one that is for the trim and possibly a third one for the window panes or your front door, which can be the same color.

Having a color scheme at the outset of your painting project will ensure that your painting project will go that much better.

 2. Keep Your Pets Inside

When you’re painting the exterior of your home, it’s important to keep your pets inside.

Imagine the disaster that might arise if your dog got out while you were painting, and he grabbed a hold of your paintbrush only to run around the outside of your home — your home might get a number of stripes that you weren’t intending for it to get.

3. Sample First, Then Use

Before you paint the exterior of your home, you will want to make sure that you have the right color or colors selected.

Though you might think that you have the right color selected, it is important that you actually sample the paints before you commit to it, even if you have some sort of color scheme selected.

4. Overbrushing

Can there be such a thing as overbrushing?

In the world of brushing, there absolutely is such a thing as doing too much.

Going over the same area too many times will cause unpleasant brush marks.

5. Painting In Temperatures That Are Not Ideal

When the weather is too cold, it will first of all be unpleasant to do some exterior painting.

When the weather is too warm, other bad things can happen including the paint drying before you can spread it evenly on the surface of the house.

Ideally speaking you will want to paint the exterior of the home when the weather is neither too hot nor too freezing cold.

6. Ignoring Your Front Door

If you do a fantastic job of painting your home but completely ignore your front door, you are doing your home no favors.

Your front door is like a glimmer of light in the darkness and can call out attention to it from a distance.

Make sure that your front door is painted in an attractive color or colors so that people give it the recognition that it deserves.

7. Using The Wrong Kind Of Paint

Not every kind of paint is made equal — for example, you should most certainly not be painting the exterior of your home with paint meant for interiors — and vice versa.

Though you might get away with it for a while, it will eventually come to light so to speak if you use the wrong type of paint and you will then have to remove the badly painted surfaces and prime once again followed by the correct kind of paint.

8. Rushing To Paint Without Preparing First

It’s imperative to prepare your work area as well as the surface of the home prior to painting the exterior of your home.

If you go into a paint job without knowing how much paint you’re actually going to need, for example, you might find yourself halfway done and out of paint.

Similarly, it is important to have all of the drop cloths accessible as well as knowing where you need to clean and remove dirt and the like prior to making the first brush stroke.

If you haven’t identified a reliable painting contractor yet, Selah Painting would love the opportunity to be your go-to exterior painter in St. Louis, MO. 

Call us at 314-207-0185 to book a FREE estimate, and let us help you enhance the exterior of your home because you have better ways to spend your weekend.

Have a great day!

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