Prep right, pick the right paint, and paint it in the right weather. Exterior painting is 80% prep — skip it and it peels within two years.
Weather is the most important factor. Paint has strict temperature, humidity, and dew-point rules. Exterior paint failing usually isn't bad paint — it's wrong weather.
55–85°F, humidity <70%, sun or light cloud, no rain 48hrs
Below 50°F, above 90°F, rain in forecast, humidity >85%
High direct sun (paint dries too fast), morning dew (wait until surface dries)
Overcast day, 65–75°F, low humidity. Paint stays workable longest.
Prep takes longer than painting. Old, flaking paint must be removed. The surface must be clean, dry, primed where bare. After this, painting is the easy part.
Rent or buy a pressure washer (1,500–2,500 PSI for wood/vinyl, lower for older surfaces). Work top to bottom. Let dry 24–48 hours fully — paint will not stick to a still-damp surface.
Use a paint scraper on flat areas, detail scraper on trim. Sand smooth with 80-grit then 120-grit. Feather the edges of remaining paint so there's no ridge. Don't try to paint over flaking — it'll peel again.
Fill soft wood spots with two-part epoxy wood filler. Replace severely rotted pieces. Re-caulk all seams around windows, doors, trim joints, and where siding meets the foundation. Let caulk fully cure before painting.
Any raw wood, patched areas, or places where you sanded to bare wood need a coat of exterior primer. Primer bonds the topcoat and prevents tannin bleed-through on wood. Skip primer and you'll see dark stains within a year.
Use painter's tape + plastic sheeting. Cover all windows, doors, lights, outlets, A/C units. Heavy-duty masking saves hours of cutting in and fixing overspray.
Always paint in the shade, following the sun around the house. Hot sun bakes paint too fast causing brush marks and lap marks.
Start at the top and work down so drips fall onto unpainted surface. Brush edges first (cutting in), then roll or spray the field. Maintain a wet edge to avoid lap marks.
One coat is almost never enough for color change or repaints on bare wood. Wait until first coat is surface-dry (2–4 hrs typically) before applying second. Full cure takes 2–4 weeks.
After siding is fully dry, paint trim and details. Use a quality angled sash brush for crisp lines. Trim often needs a different sheen than the body (semi-gloss trim is common on matte walls).
The current gold standard for most exterior surfaces. Expands and contracts with temperature, resists UV, cleans up with water. Oil-based is still sometimes used for extreme-weather situations but acrylic has improved dramatically.
The stakes are high — exterior paint is a 3–5 year commitment. The way to get it right is testing large samples outdoors, not tiny paint chips inside a store.
Most exterior paint schemes use three colors: (1) Body — the main siding color, (2) Trim — usually lighter or neutral, crisp white is classic, (3) Accent — door, shutters, a pop of true color. Three thoughtful colors beats one "safe" color every time.
Your roof color, brick, stone, concrete, and entry door hardware are staying. Your paint must work with these, not fight them. Warm-toned brick wants warm-toned body colors. Gray stone wants cooler body colors. Hold your color samples next to these elements first.
Paint a 24" × 24" test panel directly on the house for each color you're considering. Live with it for at least 48 hours — observe it in morning light, midday, and evening light. Colors that look great indoors under artificial light often look completely different in direct sun.
Paint always looks darker on a large exterior surface than on a sample chip. If you're between two shades, go lighter. Dark colors also absorb more heat, which accelerates paint degradation and can cause some siding materials to expand and buckle.
A paint color that looks stunning in isolation can look garish against the neighboring homes it will always be seen with. Consider the range of colors on your street — you want to complement the neighborhood, not clash with it. This isn't about conformity, it's about eventual resale value.
Upload a photo of your home, a roof shingle, or a color you love — and instantly get matching Pantone codes, paint brand equivalents (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr), and coordinated exterior palette suggestions.
→ Open PantoneMatchPro AI in ChatGPTProper cleanup saves your brushes (a good brush is worth cleaning). Proper paint storage lets you touch up the same color in 5 years. Both are easy if you do them right away — not the next morning.
Latex/acrylic: Rinse under warm water immediately after use. Comb the bristles with a brush comb. Repeat until water runs clear. Never let latex-painted brushes sit overnight — the paint hardens permanently.
Oil-based: Rinse with mineral spirits until clean, then with dish soap and water. Mineral spirits can be reused — let settled paint sink to the bottom, pour clear liquid back into the can.
After washing, reshape the brush bristles by hand. Hang the brush vertically (bristles down) or lay flat — never store upright as water sits in the ferrule and loosens bristles. High-quality brushes stored properly last 10+ years.
Wipe the rim clean before closing. Seal with a rubber mallet. Store upside down — this forms an airtight seal using the paint itself. When you next open it, the skin (if any) will be on the bottom. Store at 50–80°F, never in a garage that freezes. Label with room name and paint date.
Latex paint can be dried out and disposed of in regular trash (outdoors in a dry climate, or stir in kitty litter to speed drying). Oil-based paint is hazardous waste — most communities have free hazardous waste drop-off events. Check your city's website for dates and locations.