In Pursuit of Curb Appeal

Repainting your siding can give your home an entire new look. The most difficult part of repainting exterior wooden siding is cutting in along the trim pieces that run along the windows, doors and rooflines. Most people who paint their exterior siding on their own either use paint brushes and rollers or a paint gun. Both routes require a slightly different approach when it comes to cutting in.

The Difference Between Spraying and Rolling on the Paint

The first thing you need to decide how you're going to paint your siding. You can either do it with additional paint brushes and rollers or you can rent a professional paint gun. The main advantage of using the spray gun is that you can apply the paint much quicker. Spray guns are especially useful when painting a roughly textured surface like wooden siding. When using a roller and paint brushes, it can be hard to get paint inside every nook and cranny.

Cutting in with a Spray Gun

If you decide to use a spray gun to paint your siding, you will need to do a lot more preparation work. When using a spray gun, paint over-spray will get everywhere. You also want to use large sheets of plastic to cover up your lawn, pathways, concrete and any flower beds or bushes beneath the walls you're painting. Most importantly, you need to tape precisely around the edges of your doors and windows and use thin plastic to cover the glass. The best way to do this is to first apply special painter's tape exactly along the line where you want the to paint to stop. Then, you want to apply another row of tape along the inside of the painter's tape. Only push down the outside edge of the tape. You then need to apply the plastic to the inside edge of the tape and stretch across the entire fixture.

Cutting in with Rollers and Paint Brushes

The main advantage of using paint brushes and rollers is that you do not need to do so much preparation work. You will still want to take off the edge of your window and door frames, but you do not need to completely mask off the fixtures. It is best to use the roller paint within 1" or 2" of all the trim pieces. Get as close as you can without getting paint on the trim. Then, come back along later cut in, by hand, along the edges of the trim.

Whether you use a paint gun or a paint roller, it is very important that you master these cutting in techniques. For more information about maintaining your siding, contact a company like Allstate Gutter & Siding.