The best way to rejuvenate your home's exterior and create a spectacular first impression is to give it a paint job. Not only will a paint job add curb appeal but it also will increase your home's resale value. A professionally done exterior paint job can be quite expensive, but with preparation, time and hard work, even the uninitiated homeowner can repaint clapboard siding to perfection.
Instructions
Preparing the Surface
1. Use a hose or power washer to remove dirt and flaky paint. Do not shoot water up under the siding.
2. Remove any remaining loose paint with an electric or hand scraper, making sure to wear a dust mask at all times. Feather the edges of the wood siding with an electric sander.
3. Check for rotted wood. Sand minimal rot damage. Hollow out significant rot damage and fill with an epoxy wood filler. Let dry and sand.
4. Remove crumbling caulk around doors and windows with a putty knife. Remove debris and re-caulk.
5. Prime bare wood or newly sanded siding. Paint within two weeks of priming.
Applying the Paint
6. Begin painting on a dry, windless, moderate-temperature day. Cover the areas below the work surfaces with drop cloths. Cover air conditioners with plastic and trim back bushes. Remove shutters.
7. Shake the can of paint well. Open the can with a paint can opener. Hammer several nail holes into the inside of the top of the paint can rim. This will allow paint to drip through the holes and back into the can when wiping the excess paint off the paintbrush.
8. Paint from the top of the house to the bottom. Apply paint to the bottom edges of the clapboards first.
9. Paint the surface of the clapboards by applying the paint in short strokes, then spread out the paint in longer smooth strokes. Press the bristles of the paintbrush into cracks to force in the paint. Check occasionally for drips.
10. Hold a paint sprayer horizontally, if using a sprayer as an alternative to a brush, 10-12 inches from the siding and spray up and under the clapboards. Hold the sprayer upright to paint the surface of the clapboards. Use a series of even, parallel strokes, overlapping the preceding section by 1 inch. Check periodically for drips and brush them smooth.
11. Let paint dry. Remove drop cloths and plastic coverings. Replace shutters.
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