Painting the exterior of your home requires dry, sunny days. If you live in San Antonio like I do, we have plenty of those days.  Summertime is the perfect opportunity to get out there and paint! Even if a few rainstorms cause a delay, you still have plenty of time to finish the work before fantasy football starts.  You can either do it yourself or hire a professional.

The Basics of Exterior Painting

Your home needs to painted every 5-7 years to keep the wood from rotting and to keep that fresh look.  If you have a big house  or a two story house with many challenging obstacles, consider hiring a professional painting contractor. If you decide the exterior painting job on your home is one you can take on yourself, consider these tips to make the process easier:

* Choose the best paint colors, accent paints, and paint type for your exterior. Consult the experts at your local paint store or contact a painting contractor for advice.  Make sure the paint color you choose matches well with the color of you roof.
* Give your home a bath with a pressure washer, followed by some sanding on areas that need it. A clean surface makes your paint job look better and last longer.
* Make sure you paint the trim first, and let it dry completely before you move on to painting the rest of the house.  This will prevent ladder marks on your freshly painted house.
* Start painting on the west side of your home and continue toward the east to avoid painting while in direct sunlight, which tends to get really hot in Bexar County.  If you have a two story home, please make sure you have someone to hold the ladder for you.
* The type of exterior you have can determine which tools you use. Wide brushes, various types of rollers, and even an airless sprayer are all options for your exterior painting job.
* Finally, dispose of unused paint properly, or donate it to someone who needs it. Clean all brushes and other equipment thoroughly, and then stand back and admire your hard work in the late summer sun!  If you want to keep the paint, store the paint can upside down.  It will create a seal and last a lot longer.  I also use a Sharpie marker and label the paint can with the date and where the paint was used.  Example:  Rhino Design Build – Garcia Home Remodel, 78209, 2/23/2010 exterior trim color.