To get professional-looking results the next time you paint, follow these steps:
Consider color. If changing color, bring home a swatch from the store. On my home I used the same color as the house has in vinyl siding put on in 1996.
Do not forget the finish. Flat and satin finishes can work well. Because flat-finish does not reflect light, it hides wall imperfections. Satin finish has a slight sheen, and is easier to clean than Flat finish.
Prep for perfection. Using an electric heat paint stripper to take off old caulking. Re-caulk areas around window trim, corners of walls and trim of the doors.
To eliminate chip paint on trim of garage, wall of garage / porch, porch poles and trim, I used a scrubby that you use for kitchen use. While asking a program “Money Pit” similar to “This Old House”, it was suggested to use a wired brush. I found that the scrubby worked well v / s the wired brush.
Use a paste to patch holes and small cracks. A primer coat helps paint last longer and is especially important when covering repaired surfaces or when changing from a dark to a light color.
Use the right tools. Essential tools include painter’s tape to mask areas you do not want to paint. A 2-inch angled brush to “cut in” corners. A roller with an extension pole to paint walls, poles and the ceiling. Roller trays. Drop cloths. Rags and a bucket of water for cleanup.
Go for quality. “Buy the best quality paint you can afford. Good paint has better coverage, is less likely to fade and is easier to apply and care for.”
While this all sounds easy. It took me 10 days to complete over a period of time due to raining days. I only painted on sunny days above at least 75 degrees or 85 degrees heat to make sure paint dried properly.
Scraping chipped paint on all the surfaces. I removed with the heat paint stripper the caulking around door, windows and corner of walls. Then re-caulked the areas.
Painted:
1. Garage door trim, then the garage door.
2. First, outside of the porch (poles), Second, the inside of the porch poles.
3. Caulking around the door, windows and corner of walls anther day.
4. Painted trim of garage and top above the gutters.
5. Painted the garage / porch wall in the end.
One hour after I finished painting the garage / porch on the final day, I testified to say the entire project was done well and looked great. Well worth the amount of energy and time it took with a saving of money.