5 Simple Tips: DIY House Exterior Painting Like A Pro

A brush and a roller will only get you so far before the muscle ache starts. Those tools are great for indoor painting jobs and small tasks.

Yet, it’s best to choose a different approach to color the exterior of your house.

To spray paint won’t cost as much effort and time and in fact, you can give your walls a smooth and clean surface.

To DIY spray paint your house’s exterior, you must prepare well and organize your workflow before the painting starts.

In this guide, you’ll find out what tools you may need, how to plan and start spraying, and why your work isn’t over when you’ve painted your walls.

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Equipment Needed for DIY Spray Painting Your Exterior Walls

Stay safe and know your mandatory equipment. Read the instructions of every tool you use. Make sure you have taken all the safety measures to avoid potential harm to your health and any damage to your property.

We asked the Fantastic Handyman Company for the list of all the tools and equipment that you need to carry out a DIY spray painting job:

Electro-static spray painting gloves to ground you to your sprayer;
Safety goggles will protect your eyes against harmful hazards;
Spray paint mask or a good respirator to avoid breathing in the over-spray;
Work boots for climbing ladders;
An efficient paint sprayer that’s both economical and durable;
A good quantity of paint or stain - 1 gallon covers about 150 - 200 square feet;
Wide and narrow spray tips for your flat areas and small cavities;
Empty buckets and stir stick to mix your paint;
A masking tape, cloths, and plastic sheeting that covers all the areas you don’t want to stain;
Cleaning rags to act quickly and get rid of any mess;
Paintbrush and a roller for touch-ups of detail;
A ladder with multiple high change options to reach the tallest areas of your house;
And a spray shield - you can make one with a holder and a piece of cardboard;
A spray sock hood to cover your head and face; (Optional)
Tip extensions for your paint sprayer to reach the unreachable; (Optional)
More strainer bags to filter junk and particulates; (Optional)
Extra sprayer hoses, just in case; (Optional)

Things to Consider Before Spraying

Move objects away from your exterior walls. This includes any furnishings or appliances that you may accidentally paint. Give yourself a room to work with the paint sprayer, especially if it’s your first rodeo. You definitely don’t want to mess your outdoor lounge.
Clean your exterior areas well before you start painting. Get rid of any mold and dirt as it causes the paint to crack and bubble. To that, your walls can get ugly saturated areas with an uneven surface. Check for any paint that’s peeling, and scrape it off. Incorporate your hygiene into the workflow.
Pressure-wash the walls you plan to spray paint and let them dry for as long as it needs. It depends on the weather, but it could take up to several days, so organize your work in advance.
Apply masking tape on the area that you don’t want to mess up. You can mask off the frames of your windows and doors. Cover your openings and the ground with plastic sheeting or cloth. To mask a specific area could also be a simple choice of design, and it certainly gives a good look at your house.
Fill any gaps that you may no longer need and sand your wall surface if it feels bumpy. Carry out any repairs before you start spraying your property.

How to Spray Paint Your House Exterior

Before you start spray painting the outside of your home, make sure you’ve got the hang of it. If you lack any experience with a sprayer gun, try it out on a wooden plank or cardboard piece.

Try to determine the amount of stain your tool disperses and how sensitive the trigger is.

Here are 5 easy steps on how to spray paint the exterior of your house:

1
Mix your paint all together in an empty large bucket to make sure you use the same color during the whole process. Based on your dye and the exterior’s surface, choose the right spray tip. Narrow tips are perfect for small cavities, eaves, and frames. Select a wider end for your broad and even areas.
2
Choose a flat area on the side of your property to practice with your DIY spray painting. Start from the highest point of your walls and follow the direction of your boards or bricks along their length. Paint until you reach the bottom of your wall and use the spray shield to protect your footings.
3
Plan your work in different sections. Don’t rush, as they say, “great haste makes great waste”. Band the area that you will be spray painting and fill the rest in a smooth motion. 12 inches from the surface is the perfect distance to keep your spray tip while aiming for a 50% overlap with the previously painted layers.
4
It’s necessary to use a ladder to spray the eaves of your house. A tip extension is a good choice when you have to reach higher spots. Even better, use the extension the whole time to make long strokes and avoid excess paint build up. Be extra careful when you climb the ladder.
5
As a rule, spray paint your eaves and then the rest of your exterior walls. Steady work around your windows and doors, where you’ve masked off certain areas. Aim to spray at a 90-degree angle, so you could paint the cavities of your surface with ease. Get a paintbrush or a high quality roller for touch-ups and detailed work.

Painting Exterior Structure With Paint Sprayer

Follow Up Your DIY Work

When you’re done spray painting, let your exterior paint dry for a couple of days. Keep your masking tape on until all the dye has dried out.

Get rid of any plastic or cloth coverings and gather all of your equipment.

Give your paint sprayer a good wash as dry paint could damage the tool. The instructions on how to clean out dried paint are usually written on the user’s manual.

And before you place all of your furniture back in place, see if you’ve left any equipment behind.