Before you do any exterior house painting in Danville, first you should know if you have to do any exterior wall washing or not.
Preparation of the surface before the painting part itself is essential, whether you’re doing an exterior or interior painting job. Prepping is a requirement and not an option. Washing and cleaning the exterior walls are only part of the preparation. Because if the surfaces are not washed and clean before you begin painting, you may not expect the paint to stick well to them.
There are two ways to wash the surface:
- Hand-washing – It is the most common method of washing the siding. You need a bucket of water, TSP (trisodium phosphate), brush, and a rag. A detergent, bleach or an exterior wall cleaning solution may also be needed depending on how severely the dirt that has accumulated on the surface, or if there’s also the presence of mold and mildew. Using a garden hose may still be considered as part of hand washing.
Hand-washing may be laborious and take some time to finish. However, it leads to a more thorough cleaning because it gives one the opportunity to look out for other problems in more inconspicuous areas of the house.
- Power-washing – This involves the use of a power washer or a pressure washer, which you can either buy or rent. It is a powerful mechanical sprayer which can be used to quickly remove and wash off dirt, mud, soot, dust, and any other impurities that stick on the surface. Compared to hand-washing, power-washing is a quicker cleaning method. However, it doesn’t guarantee that your house will be thoroughly cleaned. But if you have a quick painting project, you may choose this method.
Both hand-washing and power-washing have their own pros, but they also present risks as well. Hand-washing may require the use of step-ladders when cleaning the higher areas of the house. Power-washing, on the other hand, may cause damage to the walls or windows if you’re not being careful about handling its high pressure.
Let’s say that you’ve finished washing, cleaning, and fixing the surface, now you’re ready to paint. If you’d like to use paints that are washable and can endure several scrubbings, you should go for paints with a glossy finish (over flat paints). A lot of painters usually recommend glossy or shiny paints as they are durable and resistant to moisture and several kinds of dirt, allowing it to be easy to clean.
But if you specifically want paints that are washable, resistant to dirt, and can stand up to repeated scrubbings, you can choose any of the recommended brands:
- Behr Premium Plus Ultra – It is a topcoat and primer in one paint product, which makes it an excellent choice in hiding imperfections in just one coating. It gives off a durable, smooth, and easy-to-clean finish that will last as long as 10 years. A lot of painters have rated this brand as the best paint for exteriors.
- Clark + Kensington – Another paint-and-primer-in-one product, Clark + Kensington gives off a strong, and long-lasting finish. It doesn’t easily fade, and resists cracking as well as any kinds of dirt, impurities and yes, even molds and mildew, so cleaning and washing the walls is a breeze.
- Sherwin-Williams Resilience – One of the more reasonably-priced exterior paints out there, Sherwin-Williams Resilience will stand up to moisture, cracking and repeated scrubbings. It is durable enough and can last for a number of years, but not as durable as the other two abovementioned paint brands.
Even if you do have the best quality paints, stains, or primers, they still won’t yield good results if they’re applied to a dirty surface. That’s why washing and cleaning the exterior walls are a must before doing any kind of house painting in Danville.
