The best way to add curb appeal to your home is to make the exterior as beautiful as it can be. You can focus on landscaping and the flowers and shrubbery, or you can make the color scheme on your home warm and inviting.
Before you get started improving the look and style of your home, you will need to gather the tools for your exterior painting project. If you start with the wrong tools, you risk not doing the best or safest job, plus you’ll end up spending more money in the long run. The tools you need will depend upon the size and scope of the project you’re undertaking.
The first tools you’ll need to gather are your paint rollers, brushers, and other accessories. When you’re covering a larger area, larger rollers and a roller extension will come in helpful. Smaller rollers and paint brushes will give you the tools you need to focus on smaller areas and get all the nooks and crannies in the most efficient manner. If you’re using rollers, you’ll also need roller grates to strain paint and get it on your roller cleanly.
One of the reasons you’re undertaking an exterior paint project is because your home’s exterior is fading, chipping or just plain out of date. So before you start putting your awesome new color on your home’s exterior, you’ll want to scrape some of the old paint off some areas, especially if it has bumps or is uneven. You may even be able to find a scraping tool that can also pull out rusty, old nails or make opening paint cans faster and easier.
Other tools you might need include drop clothes to cover bushes, outdoor foliage or your sidewalks to prevent paint splatter. You may also need to fill any holes with caulk before you begin painting. If you need to dot his, you’ll also need a caulking gun. If you have a lot of holes to fill you may want to opt for a high-powered pneumatic option, whereas if you only have a few, manually or battery-operated caulk guns can easily get the job done.
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll need to get your paint! You probably want to at least pick up some samples to compare colors. Some places even have small, sample cans you can use to compare colors on your home’s exterior, side-by-side. Be sure to take into account how many coats of paint you’ll need and if the color you choose will necessitate a change in the door, shutter or window trim color.
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