How can painting the building exteriors help maintain the building?

Getting the building exteriors painted is quite a daunting and an immense task. Painting the exteriors of large apartments need a through planning and care. It is very important that an association regularly checks for any damage in the building and get it painted frequently on a yearly basis. Doing this will help maintain the quality of the building.

Why building exteriors ought to be maintained?

Maintenance is the work compulsory to keep your apartment in a good state of repair to maximize its value and your comfort. Maintaining your apartment will also help increase its life and ensures it continues to perform and reduce the environmental impact like harsh weathers, acid rains and so on.

Benefits of maintaining your apartment:

• Maintaining saves your money by allowing you to fix problems before they create chaos.
• Maintaining makes it more comfortable to live within your apartment.
• Maintaining protects your home against weather tightness problems.
• Maintaining ensures safety and security.
• Maintaining helps keep you and your family healthy.
• Maintaining gives a higher value to the building.

Get an apartment manager for maintenance:

• An apartment manager in a building maintains the apartment premises/common areas and handles flat owner’s requests like request for plumbing, leaking, basic repairs and so on.
• An apartment manager provides basic repairs to the building whenever required.
• The apartment manager will notify upkeep that a repair needs to be made.
• The job of apartment manager is to maintain the condition of the property, as well as handle individual apartment maintenance requests.

The process of painting the building exteriors:

One of the most important aspects of painting the exteriors of a building is to get the right scraping tools rather than just a paint brush. One needs to prepare the exterior surface before painting it as poor preparation of the surface before painting will make the paint loose after its application. One should ensure that the paint surface is clean, free from grease, dry and free from flaking and loose paint. One must keep in mind that painting the building exteriors over a dirty or poorly prepared surface is like building a home over a weak foundation.

The needed tools for painting the building exteriors:

• Paint Scraper
• Putty Knife
• Sandpaper / Sanding Block
• Stiff Brush
• Heat Gun Paint Remover (possible)
• Power Washer (possible)

How to buy and pick the right paint for the building exteriors?

• When you are buying paint for your building exteriors, you should decide whether the paint should be merged with combination paint or should be just one color. If you are deciding to have different combinations, you should take photographs of your home and decide. Consider the shades based on the fixed architectural elements of the building like the roof colour, brick work or decks. Ensure that the colors match the building’s architectural style. Pick up various paint swatches and try it in samples with different colors before deciding the final colour.
• Choose the paint color based on the area and the material used on the building exteriors. There are multiple types of paint made for different areas and materials, such as siding, gutters and stucco. One should keep all these aspects in mind.
• Consider the kind of base, oil-based paint or water-based paint on the building exteriors. Water-based paint is usually the first choice for exterior painting as it is quite durable than other oil-based paints. Also the oil-based paint can be used only on surfaces which are already painted in multiple coats of oil-based paint in the past. Doing this will also prevent cracks in the paint.

• Consider the exterior paint type you prefer for e.g. the porch and house paints are used to resist the elements. Gutter paints are used to adhere to metal surfaces and the masonry paints adhere to stone materials like concrete and stucco.
• Consider the type of finish that is needed for the building. The flat finishes ensure that they hide the flaws and damages on the building surface. They are also used for big, visible surfaces like siding. Other finishes like the glossy finish highlights the details of the building and are best suited for trim and shutters. Lastly, the semi-gloss finish hides the imperfections on a surface of the building by maintaining a glossy look which can be used for the doors outside.
• While buying the paint for your building exteriors, you should think about the type of paint needed for each and every part of the building exterior. The building might require special masonry paint, wood or metal primers or bitumen paint for gutters. You can also seek an advice from the local paint store.
• Ensure that you always buy enough paint to finish the job in hand in one go. This will lead to an even finish. Also you should estimate accurately the amount of paint needed by measuring and multiplying the height and width of each surface which is to be covered. You should buy a large can rather than several smaller cans as it is cheaper and will give you sufficient paint to cover up the spots.
• Avoid mixing paints of different manufacturers as this can cause chaos and ensure that you buy paint from a recognizable manufacturer and avoid cheaper brands as they can end in cheaper results. If you have decided to merge the paint with different color combinations, you should take your take out and plan accordingly.

Consider these preparation points before painting the exteriors:

• Check for the weather forecast before starting the task.
• Avoid painting on wet surfaces.
• Consider allotting enough time for the task and paint carefully based on a timetable. Do every part at a time.
• Keep required props like ladders and other supporting items in handy.
• For places with doors, ensure that you remove the handles, keyhole plates, knockers and other accessories and place them carefully in a safe place. For any openable windows you can paint them early in the day to allow drying before they need to be closed. Ensure that you start the task from top and carry on till down.

How to prepare the exterior walls:

• Walls which are previously painted should be washed with a detergent and cleaned off the dirt.
• They should be rinsed well with clean water and allowed to dry.
• The damaged areas of the walls should be scraped and rubbed down using a wire brush. Avoid scraping it too hard as to prevent any damage. In case there are mold areas on the building exteriors, treat them with fungicidal products.
• Repair the cracks in the wall and seal it with a sealant or filler. The new or sound bare surfaces should be sealed using a masonry paint primer. If the walls have powdery surface, use a stabilizing primer to set it right.
• One should keep in mind that common bricks shouldn’t be painted as the paint clogs them from breathing and they are unsuitable for painting. For further information, you can seek professional advice before beginning the paint job. If the building has a large area of brickwork paint, you can use a professional blast cleaner.

Preparation of exterior accessories:  Metal, plastic and wooden surface.

• The metal gutters outdoors should be painted with heavy bitumen paint to prevent dampness. Places like the outsides of gutters, brackets and down pipes should be painted with an undercoat and gloss which is also a weather proof exterior version. The bare areas of metal should be treated with a metal primer. Plastic pipes and gutters needn’t be treated with primers but should be covered with gloss. For treating wood on the exteriors, avoid stripping the paint and instead smooth down and clean the paint.
• For doors and window frames pre-paint them with primer and undercoat and apply a coat with gloss or eggshell paint.
• For exterior wood pre paint with primer and undercoat along with several top coats of gloss.
• For metal work use a primer along with an undercoat and top coat of gloss.
• Ensure that the exterior of the building should be regularly maintained.

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