There are lots of different parts to your house.
But some of them just don’t get the respect and attention they deserve.
Sure, there’s your siding, your doors, your front porch – these all tend to grab more attention.
They’re either right there in your face, or you get more use out of them.
But what about that unsung hero, the one that holds it all together?
The one who never lets you or your house down?
The one who carries the weight of your world on its shoulders?
We’re talking, of course, about your home’s foundation.
We’re PurcellPro Painting, professional residential painters.
And we’re here to help, whether you want to hire us or do it yourself.
When you’re thinking about painting your home, don’t forget about your foundation.
Here’s why.
What’s In A Foundation?
Just like the rest of your home’s exterior, your foundation needs to be maintained.
This will keep your house in its best shape for years to come.
A strong foundation can add many years to your home – but what does paint have to do with it?
A lot, it turns out.
People choose exterior residential paint colors because they like the color – that’s true.
But they also paint because it adds an additional layer of protection from the elements.
It keeps your home safe from weather damage, dust, and other elements.
If your foundation is starting to crack, a fresh coat of paint isn’t going to fix that.
But if your foundation is still in good shape, regularly painting it can make it last longer.
Here at PurcellPro Painting, we recommend redoing your foundation every ten years at most.
Check in on it every five years though – general wear and tear might be greater in some seasons than others.
Material Foundations
Homes use a wide variety of materials when it comes to building a foundation.
The materials they use depend on how old your home is and the style in which it’s made.
For the most part, though, homes have foundations built on brick, cement blocks, or poured concrete.
The instructions for how to paint your foundation are below – if you have a different type of foundation than what’s above, it’s a different story.
Step 1: Inspect Your Foundation
Take a walk around your house, and give your foundation a close look as you do.
Look for cracks in the cement, concrete, or bricks.
If you do find cracks, you’ll need to repair these before you start.
That, of course, is a little more complicated than just scraping old paint from your house or applying drywall putty.
But that’s a topic for another article.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Work Area
Stuff builds up along the side of your house.
It happens.
It’s that stuff you’ll have to clear away before you start painting.
Bring out the broom and sweep away any dust, dirt, leaves, or debris that has piled up.
Next, use your hose to wash away anything that’s stuck to your foundation.
You can use a pressure washer here if you like, but leave it on the low setting.
Set it too high and you can damage your foundation.
After, use your wire brush to scrape away anything that’s left over.
Then rinse it once again, and leave it to dry.
Step 3: Prime Your Foundation
Primer might look like paint, but it’s quite a bit different.
It’s designed to cling tighter to a surface, as well as provide a surface that paint can cling to better.
For this part, you’ll want to get a paint sprayer – rolling and brushing just doesn’t work as well.
It takes a whole lot longer, and using them tends to cause primer to absorb more into your foundation.
This makes it less effective.
Make sure to use a foundation designed specifically for the type of foundation you have.
Before you start, you’ll want to use drop cloths on the ground and plastic sheets against the siding on the rest of your house above your foundation.
Then, spray away.
Step 4: Paint it
Fortunately, at this point there isn’t much more prep work to do.
You’ve put your drop cloths and plastic sheets in place, you’ve cleaned the surface, and you’ve primed it.
Now, swap your primer for paint, and paint your foundation.
Tips For How To Use A Paint Sprayer
If you’ve never used a paint sprayer before, it can be a little confusing.
Here are some tips to help you:
First, start moving the paint gun before you pull the trigger. This will prevent too much paint from building up where you start, and ensure a more even coat.
Try to keep your speed even – this will give you more even coverage.
Start with the corner of your foundation, then work your way down – this helps avoid drips.
Make sure to wipe away the tip of your paint gun regularly.
And point your paint gun right at the surface you’re painting, rather than painting it at an angle.
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