Need to DIY paint a small house exterior - school me on how

[G50]

I need to paint a small (1400 sq ft) house, exterior.

I've actually painted a few cars in my life, so I have some paint experience.

What I'm mostly wondering is what equipment do I need? I have an air compressor that could drive a sprayer. Or is the spray equipment all self contained? I think the best case scenario would be if I could just buy a gun, and drive it with my compressor, if possible.

Should I buy the equipment, or just rent? What would a reasonable cost be for buy/rent?

Anyways, any tips would be appreciated!

[fastfredracing]

Maybe just rent a commercial paint sprayer , and have at it, It dips right into a 5 gallon bucket of paint, and puts down a nice finish.
My buddy and I did my parents house in a weekend.

[stomachmonkey]

My moms method worked well.

Paint, brushes, drop clothes, ladders, lots of beer, a couple pizzas then she'd call my friends and tell them what time to be there.

No one dared say no to my mom.

[RWebb]

Here is what the paint store told me when I painted mine (it's in Orygun - hence the reliance on subjugating mold):

The prep. is critical.



wash new wood & painted surfaces with bleach/water (1:4) mix with 2 oz TSP in it – spray with garden sprayer; let sit 10-15 minutes; then pressure wash (don’t pressure wash first), or use stiff brush and flush with hose

must wait 3 dry days; can wait up to 7 days before priming or painting

spot sand; spot prime

can wait up to 2 weeks to top coat over primer

can spray top coat – 2x; use roller to roll 1st coat into wood


prime before painting treated wood (Benjamin Moore 166 super-spec Busan primer)
or could use a solid colored stain

can let siding sit as bare wood up to 3 months before painting; must treat new wood for mold before primer

[Zeke]

Air driven guns are not a good choice for architectural paints unless you have one specifically set up. Not very many of those around anymore. Use an airless or paint it the old fashioned way.

I like to use an airless to move the paint from the can to the wall, but I will back roll my work to work it in. I might as well be using a power roller, but I'm not too thrilled about those gizmos.

What's the surface of the exterior?

Whatever you do and whomever you listen to, clean the surfaces to be painted very well. Sand and prep as needed. Clean the prepped areas again of sanding dust.

Whoops, I guess Webb said it all first.

[RWebb]

use a high quality paint - it is all labor (well, 97%) so you don't want to do it 2x -- your experience painting cars tells you this; I use Benjie Moore and I use their best primer & one down from their best top coat paint.

a disc grinder works great for the sanding

a sprayer just puts the paint up there - you need to work in with pressure from a brush and/or roller

oh yeh - I don't just use a pressure washer - I get in there and scrub the old surface with a hard bristle brush too (why make it easy on yourself when you can indulge in a Puritan-like ritual of sanctification)

[RWebb]

never hurts to have validation from a quality pro, milt

[Superman]

Agreed. Airless sprayer. Then, you still need to work the paint onto and into the surface. Two guys would be great, one nozzleman and one rollerman.

But the most important and time-consuming part is the prep. Pressure wash. Then scrape. Then wire brush and sand, if necessary. Last step is the paint. But again, if you've painted cars, then you know the ratio of prep time to painting time is at least 10:1.

[rnln]

a decent airless paint machine from home depot for home use is around $200, which I bought. You don't need an air compressor with this. The key is cleaning it well after painted. If you rent one from HD, will cost close to $100 a day.
If it's a one story home, I would paint it myself (afraid at high). The wooden area, under the roof, I would do semi-gloss with a coat of primer first.
If you have a pressure washer machine, it would be nice.

[Mark Henry]

Another tip is if you have clear access and a small car float, set a scaffold up on the float and wheel it around the house. I've done a couple of 2 story houses this way, makes for fast moves and you're not on a ladder.

[PabloX]

My house is 2 story and 2000+ sq ft. I painted it with a brush. Where there was peeling, I used a scraper but often found an air RO sander to work better (though be careful with that on cedar). Then, I spot primed with oil based primer. The final coat with California 20-20.

The sprayer is nice and all but the prep work makes it not worthwhile, IMO.

[DaveE]

I used a Wagner to paint both my house and barn last summer. If I'd have used a brush I'd still be painting.