Is it time to paint the outside of your house again? I have painted the outside of house as a profession and would like to share some tips with you. I'll tell you what supplies you'll need, ways to estimate how long the job will take, and tips to help you paint like the pros!

First you need to figure out how long it will take to paint the exterior of your house. The average house takes about 60 hours to paint. This isn't a small time commitment! Granted this is also why the average house costs about $3,000.00 if you have it done professionally. If your house has lots of windows it will take much longer to paint. This is because of all the detail work involved with painting around windows. Also if your house has places where the old paint has come off you'll need to prep these areas. This prep time is also a good time to fill any Woodpecker holes or any other small cosmetic problems with the outside of the house.

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Painting the outside of your home can be fun and exciting. It can also be very dangerous if your not careful. Here's some tips to keep you safe.

1. Place your ladder at a ratio of 3 to 1
This means for every 3 feet up your ladder should be placed 1 foot away from the house. You don't need to be exactly like this but the closer you are to this ratio the more stable your ladder will be. Always make sure your ladder has firm ground under it. Never place rocks or other loose objects under your ladder to prop it up. These situations are asking for trouble. Improper ladder placement leads to the most injuries and deaths among painters.

2. Always have three points of contact on the ladder
You always want to have your hand and both feet on the ladder. Never straddle between your house and the ladder. Otherwise you can easily slip and fall. Also if you don't have three point of contact your ladder can become unstable and can kick out from under or you can fall backwards.

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Before you paint the exterior of you house you really should power wash your house. You see this as an unnecessary step of the long process of painting the exterior of your home. However, it can actually save you from having to re-paint your home later on.

Why is it Important to Power Wash my House?

Power washing your home does two very important tasks:

1. It removes any dirt or other particulate matter on your home. This is the most important reason because a clean surface will allow your new paint to adhere to your home better. This will create a better bond between the house and paint making the paint last longer and make it more resistant to rain and heat.

2. You also will become more familiar with the layout of your home and it gives you experience on a ladder. The more time you spend on a ladder the faster you will get on it and more comfortable you will be.

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Most people think every paint brush is the same no matter what material its made of. They only take into account the size of the brush. However, different brushes are made for painting different surfaces and different types of paint.

Natural-bristle brushes-

These are the brushes that are made from animal hair. They are best for applying oil-based paint. The natural split ends of the bristles hold more paint and allow for a smooth finish. They unfortunately are not nearly as durable and there nylon/polyester counterparts.

Blended nylon/polyester brushes-

If your looking for a brush that will last forever nylon/polyester brushes are the what your looking for! Nylon is extremely durable and polyester holds its shape and when combined they make great bushes. They are easy to clean too! Unfortunately unlike natural brushes, nylon/polyester brushes don't have split ends and since oil paint is very thin it tends to just run off the ends of the bristles. Latex paint is much thicker and thus holds great on nylon/polyester brushes.

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