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Doors, Windows, and Trim: Painting the Exterior of your Home
Sam Lutz • Apr 25, 2017
The doors, windows and trim might seem like a small portion of your home’s exterior, but painting these parts of your house is still a big job. Handling the project systematically and using the right materials is an important part of making your project a success.
Choose the Color
The color you choose for your trim and doors will have a big impact on the curb appeal and appearance of your home. Many homeowners choose trim and window colors that match their home’s exterior. It’s common to select a door color that stands out, making the door a visual focal point.
When selecting a color, start by exploring the options at your local paint store, or check out online tools designed to help you pick the color of your home.
Once you’ve narrowed your potential colors to a few top candidates, buy samples and apply large swatches of paint to your home’s exterior. View the samples at different times of day and in different places around your house to help you decide. If you’re not comfortable painting the samples directly onto your house, try painting a large board and hold the board up to your home in various areas around the home’s exterior.
Prepare the Surface
Preparing the surface for paint is very important. Without proper preparation, the paint may not stick to the wood, or the finish may be rough and unsatisfactory. To prep the surface, do the following:
- Clean the wood thoroughly and allow it to dry.
- Use a paint scraper and rough sandpaper to scrape off any loose paint. Use sandpaper to rough up any existing paint.
- Remove any nails, knobs and other hardware.
- Fill in the holes with wood filler, then allow the wood filler to dry and sand the surface with sandpaper.
- Clean the surface thoroughly again to remove any flakes of paint or wood.
- Paint the surface with exterior grade primer and allow it to dry fully. The primer will be fully dry when it’s no longer tacky to the touch.
Get Started
Once you’re ready to paint, wait for the temperature outside to be within acceptable parameters for the paint that you’ve chosen. The temperature requirements will be printed on the side of the can. Check the weather forecast to ensure that there is no rain expected for your area for the next several days. Lay out tarps to protect the parts of your home that you will not be painting. Cover your landscape as well.
Once it’s time to start painting, paint the windows from the center out. Use an angled paintbrush to paint the corners and small parts. Use a large, flat paintbrush to paint the wider, flatter surfaces. Allow the paint to dry fully before applying a second coat. Between coats, you can keep your paint brushes wrapped in foil and stored in a baggie in your refrigerator overnight; no cleaning necessary.
Stop In At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we help homeowners in the area with their painting and home improvement projects. Our stores have all the painting supplies you need
to keep your home looking its best. To get started painting your home’s trim, windows and doors, stop in at one of our convenient locations today. We’ll answer your questions and help you find the right products for your needs.
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