 Preserving
a Historic Home
Preserving an older structure preserves a link
to the past. No matter how modest, an older building
is a product of the cultural heritage of its region,
the technology of its period, the skill of its
builders, and the materials used for its construction.
Is your home the tourist spot on the block because
it is so old? Well, with time, even the nicest
old homes can begin to look weary. And likely,
you’re not going to want to paint the exterior
yourself, a task such as this usually would require
a professional house painting contractor.
Choosing Historic Colors
Deciding which colors you would like
to paint your historic home will be a task. For
starters, you can talk with historic color consultants,
and professional decorators to see what colors
look best for your historic home painting project.
Once you decide on a few color combos, you can
then use imaging software to view the colors before
making any commitments.
Ask Your Historic Home Painting Question Here!
For Local Historic Home Painters and Services
CLICK HERE
Things you’ll need for historic home painting
• Power washer
• Bleach, soap 
• Ladders
• Walk boards and planks, ladder jacks
• Scrub brushes and buckets
• Oil Primer
• 100% Acrylic satin latex exterior house
paint
• Brushes / roller / or sprayer
• Drop cloths
• Plastic
• Tape
• Paper tape, tape machine
• Caulk, caulk gun
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper
Quick Guide
How to Paint an Historic Home
• Repair or replace any damaged surfaces,
• Wash off all surfaces with a professional
grade pressure washer and bleach water mixture,
this will reduce the overall time of hand scraping,
and hand washing. Make sure to allow all surfaces
to dry thoroughly.
• Use sandpaper and a paint scraper to
remove all loose, chipping, cracked or blistered
paint - down to raw surfaces if necessary. Make
sure to use a respirator or mask to protect yourself.
Use a small drop cloth as you go to catch loose
bits of paint and debris. If you feel the exterior
needs to be sandblasted, or chemically stripped
hire a professional painting contractor.
• Patch any nail or screw holes, caulk
around windows, doors, overhangs, trim, where
siding meets, miters joint, etc.
Caulk such places as seams and corners, above
door and window trim, and where trim meets the
siding
• Use epoxy wood filler to repair bigger
more serious problems in woodwork or siding
• Sand all rough or glossy surfaces; paint
needs a slightly roughened surface to stick to,
by sanding glossy surfaces you are providing key
so the paint can stick. You can also use paint
de-glosser on all glossy surfaces.
 •
Remove or cover all light fixtures, plumbing outlets,
electrical covers and house numbers. Remove or
protect all screens.
• Use drop cloths to cover everything you
don't want to paint, such as plants, walkways,
cars and your neighbors' property.
• Apply primer over all raw surfaces. In
many situations where the paint on the siding
has deteriorated and where mold and mildew is
accessible it’s best to prime the entire
house. Note that different surfaces - paint, metal,
wood, stucco - require different primers.
• Allow the primer to dry completely, and
then apply one-two coats of exterior paint. Let
each coat dry between applications according to
the manufacturer's specifications and instructions.
|
