How We Painted Our Exterior

Admittedly, I’m late in sharing all the details on how we painted our exterior. When we bought the house almost a year ago, there were several areas with peeling paint, and for the purpose of our loan, we had to repaint those areas in order to close on the house. We both thought it would be pointless to just slap some paint up without just painting the entire exterior… especially since it was so ugly to start. 

Let’s flash back to last summer. This is how the house looked the day we closed…

Let’s just say, we couldn’t wait to give the house a complete paint job.

A new roof, soffit and facia were all things we knew we’d be replacing quickly as well, but adding a new coat of paint was our number one priority. The existing light blue paint with the red painted brick was way past its prime, and just flat out ugly. The facia was also rotted and falling apart in several places, but because they had peeling paint, we were obligated to freshen it up. 

Here’s how we quickly painted the exterior.

Tools/ Materials:

• Power Washer
• Putty Knife
• Paint Scraper
• Sand Paper
• Caulking
• Caulking Gun
• Spackling
• Plastic
• Painters Tape
• Primer
• Paint Sprayer: We love this paint sprayer!
• Paint:  We used Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior Paint in Satin

First, we power washed the house. The siding was filthy. Dirt and cobwebs flowed off the side of this house, as well as peeling paint that came off in huge chunks.

While Todd power washed the house, I went around and used a putty knife to scrape off any peeling paint the power washer didn’t get off. I didn’t get any pictures of this. Shame on me, I know, but I guess I was more focused on removing the paint and cutting out any cracked caulking that wasn’t serving a purpose.

The prep work of these jobs always takes longer than actually painting, especially when you’re using a paint sprayer. This siding wasn’t in the best of shape, but we also didn’t have any boards that needed replaced. We did however, use spackling to fill any indentations or anywhere the siding needed a smoother appearance. Todd had to be careful not to power wash it too hard, or too close, because the siding wanted to come apart. 

Once we had all of the prep work done, we taped off the windows and doors and primed any areas where we were down to bare wood. I used a tray and roller to do this since the areas were minimal, but it was definitely worth it in the long run. 

Because we knew we’d be replacing the windows and trim, the roof and all of the soffit and facia, we didn’t have to be too careful when we were taping off and painting. We used our paint sprayer (that we LOVE) and went to town. For our paint, as you can see above, we tested a few different colors on each side of the house. We gave ourselves a week or so to look at the different colors, but it was pretty clear from the beginning which color was the winner. We went with Useful Gray from Sherwin Williams, and we used their Duration exterior paint in a satin finish. 

We loved the paint… it went on like velvet and the coverage was amazing. For the most part, we had complete coverage with one coat, but there were a few areas where we had to add an extra coat of paint, especially on the brick. 

Another nice thing about the paint we used, was that it was specifically formulated for exterior surfaces that included brick. And since a large portion of our front exterior has brick, we wanted something that would adhere well and last several years.

We did rent a scaffold to make things easier. Neither one of us is too crazy about heights, so the idea of painting off of a ladder was a little unnerving. The scaffold definitely came in handy when I was doing the prep work as well. So many of the boards needed caulked, and it was much easier to walk across the scaffold than to move ladders. 

Todd worked his way around the house, and I was in charge of moving the paint bucket and plastic sheeting to protect the concrete or any other areas where we didn’t want paint on the ground. Before we painted, we did go along the foundation of the house and rake back any rock or dirt so our new paint would be below ground level. 

After a few days, we had a freshly painted house and things were looking soooo much better…

It was only a couple of days later and the roofer was at the house getting ready to install our new roof…

It was basically night and day difference. Neighbors were thanking us for repainting and suddenly the house felt so much more like ours. The power of paint is truly amazing. This house is proof of that. 

The color is also one of our favorites! It’s such a beautiful light, creamy gray. It has a slight green undertone and it looks perfect with crisp white trim and black doors!

With the paint done, phase one of the exterior makeover was complete. Phase two began when the roof was replaced, and the new soffit and facia was upgraded…

So far this year, we’ve had new gutters installed, and we just finished adding new windows and trim, and a few special surprises I can’t wait to tell you about! Needless to say, with each and every “phase”, we’ve loved this house and have been so excited to see it all come together.

It’s crazy that this time last year we were repainting the house. Looking back on these pictures has given me major reflection. We’ve haven’t even owned this home a year yet, and we’ve made so much progress. I have moments where I feel like certain things aren’t progressing fast enough, but these pictures give me major perspective. And it’s proof that progress, however big or small, is still progress. It should still be celebrated. It’s just as powerful as the completed “after” we all want so badly. Without those little baby steps, we’d never make it to the finish line. I choose to celebrate the now, knowing the “after” will be that much more loved. 

More exterior updates coming at ya!