One of the easiest ways to make a home look new again is to give it a fresh coat of paint. Any home that has exterior paint which has faded or chipped will look unsightly. No matter how well the lawn is kept up, peeling paint or rust stains along the sofas and / or facia will detract from the jewel of the setting – the home itself.

While it is possible for a homeowner to paint the exterior of his (or her) own home, it is usually advisable to hire a professional to do the job. Homeowners who want to do the job themselves think that they are saving a tremendous sum on labor costs, for example, not taking into account the fact that their own time is valuable, too. In addition, there is stress involved in painting – climbing up on ladders to reach the highest points just under the roof, for example. While a homeowner can easily paint a one-story home, painting a duplex or triplex really should be left to the professionals who have the proper safety equipment.

Before the exterior of a home is painted – or repainted – the surface has to be properly prepared. If the paintwork is merely faded, that's one thing. But if there are unsightly rust stains, or if the paintwork is peeling, these problems must be corrected before the paint job begins. Too many homeowners who do the job themselves simply paint over rust stains, or right over peeled paint, never realizing that they are painting over problems that will only resurface again.

If there are unsightly rust stains on a home's exterior, the first thing to do is to find out why. Such stains may indicate problems with the roofing shingles, for example, and once the house is newly painted, the same stains will appear again.

If a homeowner paints directly over peeled paint instead of removing the original paint, the result will be an unsightly, lumpy mess. No amount of fresh, new, wonderful paint would be able to hide the uneven surface of the exterior walls, and the whole point of repainting the house is lost.

A professional interior and exterior painting company will strip off the exterior paint, if necessary, before priming the surface of the home and then applying a couple of new coats of paint. Even if the paint is only faded, and not peeling, a good power washing will remove all dirt and grime and ensure that the new coat (s) of paint will adhere properly. Painting over dirty surfaces will only ensure that the paint will quite quickly start to bubble up and peel away.

A new coat of paint should be applied every fifteen years. This is the industry standard. Even the best quality paints will fade when exposed to direct sunlight and 100 degree temperatures periodically over the course of several years.

Summer is the ideal time for a home owner to have his or her home repainted. Depending on in what state the home is located, it's possible to paint a home during winter, spring or fall, but the amount of moisture that falls and average temperatures have to be taken into account.

Article originally published at Source by Barbara Peterson