Prepare Your House for Winter-Painting

In many parts of the country, winter is bearing down on us. Fall can be an ideal time to paint. Landscaping is established and is less vulnerable to damage and if you're facing cold winter, it probably won't matter if plants get a bit squished.

Most painting companies get very busy in fall-people suddenly realize they've put off having the house painted yet another year, and try to get it all done before winter hits. This is great for painters since it's such a busy time, we often get to schedule exterior work for the following spring!

Want to paint your home's exterior yourself? If weather permits, go for it.
You probably already know it should be at least 50 degrees outside in order to apply paint. Remember it's not so much the ambient temperature as the surface temperature (of what you plan on painting) you have to worry about. Most hardware and auto repair stores have handy little gizmos that gauge the surface temperature for painting.

If you are feeling industrious and want to winterize your home and get some of that pesky paint preparation out of the way, leaving the actual paint job for spring, here's a check list of things you can do now.

Fall Paint Tips

If you've been putting off caulking, now's the time. Buy some high quality caulking, arm yourself with a ladder and go around your house checking for gaps around windows, doors, dryer vents and plumbing outlets. Check the inside as well as the outside of your home.

If you have any siding, decking, gutters or downspouts that need replacing, get a jump on spring projects by doing it now. By taking care of these "prepainting" projects, you'll be ahead come springtime.

Do you have aging brick fireplace, around a porch on your house? Extremes in temperature and moisture will do most damage to brickwork in winter. A coat of clear masonry sealer will protect the brick and grout from deteriorating during the coming cold months.

Winter is harsh on masonry but the sun is what mainly damages wood. Even so, if you've been meaning to get around to refinishing your deck all summer but haven't, at very least put a coat of clear wood sealer on it before winter. It won't take long and if you have ice or snow buildup on the wood, it's not exactly great for the wood! Moisture takes its toll as well.

Wasps get more aggressive and active during fall. Using the spray that shoots the nests a good 20' away, go around your home early in the morning or on a cool day, when they're "home" and kill the nests. The next day, knock them all down. This will discourage them from rebuilding in the springtime.

While you're at it, make sure everything waterbased is in a freeze-free area, like your basement. Latex and acrylic paints and stains will be ruined by deep freezing.

-Carina MacDonald

Carina MacDonald has been a painting contractor since
1979 and has tackled everything from large commercial buildings and Victorian homes to faux painting a child s room and wallpapering a bathroom. If it stands still long enough, she can figure out a way to paint it correctly!