When you’re painting the exterior of your home, one of the biggest problems that come about is that when you finish, you can find yourself looking at quite a mess.
Some will tell you that such a mess is inevitable and just part of the process of painting your exterior, but this is not the case at all.
With the right precautions and measures, you can do an exterior paint job and have less of a mess if not none whatsoever.
With that in mind, let us look at five tips and tricks for minimizing the exterior home painting mess in San Diego, CA.
1. Proper Preparation Before Beginning The Painting Process
Adequate preparation before you begin the painting process can make all of the difference between a clean and messy exterior painting process.
Proper preparation meaning here that you know exactly the kinds of materials you are going to need to help you paint, and you have a full plan to paint along with a timeline for the full painting process. That is the best way to avoid making the biggest mess.
2. Using Heavy Drop Cloth To Cover House Surroundings
Heavy drop cloth is the best kind of thing you can use to cover things on the outside of your home when you are painting.
One might think that just about any kind of drop cloth would do, but this would be a mistake as the lighter weight drop cloths tend to shift about when you are walking on them (and the wind can easily pick them up) leading ultimately to paint getting on the ground instead of on the drop cloths where they belong.
3. Stir Paint Inside Paper Grocery Bags
When you are working with paint on the outside of your house, the process of stirring the paint can often get paint splatters everywhere, and they are quite difficult to remove from things like the grass and trees.
Instead, what you’re going to want to do is to put the buckets of paint inside paper bags and then stir inside there — and all of the splashing mess will be contained to the inside of those bags rather than all over your front lawn.
4. Allow Paint To Completely Dry Before Painting Second Coat
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they’re painting is not to allow the first coat of paint to dry before they paint a second coat completely.
The problem with this, particularly when you’re using a paint roller, is that if you start trying to paint the second coat before the first coat is completely dry, you are likely to get some of the first coat sticking to the paint roller.
This creates an unpleasant mess that is difficult to clean up.
5. Store Paint Brushes And Rollers In The Refrigerator During The Painting Process
During the painting process of the exterior of your home, there will come times during which you are going to need to take breaks from painting.
When you are waiting for your first coat of paint to dry, for example, you can’t just stand around with the paintbrush in your hand waiting for it — and you can certainly wash the brushes, but that just means a lengthy process before you’ll be ready to paint again.
Instead, what you can do is to slip the brushes or rollers inside seal-able bags and put them in the refrigerator – this will keep them moist and ready to use when you are ready to start again.
Indeed, you can also stop painting partially through and have a sandwich if that’s what you want to do.