Exterior Painting Getting Started Painting the exterior of your house is a huge job. But the rewards are great too. With a minimum investment in tools and materials, you'll save thousands of dollars, extend the life of your siding and increase the value of your home. Best of all, you'll make it look like new again. While you may spend less than $1,000 on painting tools and materials, the same job done by a pro(专业人员) could easily cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more. The savings come at a cost, though. A good paint job requires countless hours of careful preparation. Plan to devote an entire summer to prepare and paint even a medium-size house. Completing a top-quality exterior paint job requires more than patience and perseverance. You'll need a sharp eye, a steady hand and a bit of practice to paint straight lines. In addition, you'll need the strength to move and set up tall ladders, and the confidence to work from them once they're in place. Applying topcoats (the final coats of paint) doesn't require much equipment beyond what you've already accumulated for scraping and priming. We recommend buying at least two top-quality synthetic-bristle brushes for applying the latex paint(乳胶漆): one brush ($15 to $20) for large areas and a brush ($9 to $12) for detail work. For applying paint to large areas of shingles(屋顶板), stucco(涂饰墙壁的灰泥) or brick, buy a roller(滚筒). Paint Stores Can Help With Colors and Quantities Choosing exterior paint colors that complement(与……相配) the architectural details of your house and fit the character of your neighborhood is the first step to a great paint job. Check out bookstores and libraries for books on the subject. You'll find brochures(小册子) at the paint store with collections of historic colors. Many paint stores have designers who can help you choose colors, or you could hire a designer or architect. Buy a quart(夸脱) of each color you've chosen and paint the entire color scheme on a small area of your house before committing to gallons(大量使用). If you don't like the results, change the colors and try again. Next take rough measurements of your house, noting the type of surface. Count the doors and windows. With this information, paint store employees can help you calculate the amount of paint you'll need. Buy the best paint you can afford. Good-quality paint is easier to apply, covers better and lasts longer. We recommend buying paint with a slight sheen, either satin or eggshell. It's more fade resistant(不易退色) and easier to clean than flat paint. Check the Weather Avoid painting in direct sunlight. The heat dries the paint too fast, making it nearly impossible to avoid blistering(起泡) and peeling(剥落). Avoid painting on very windy days. The wind causes the paint to dry too fast and can blow dirt into wet paint. Don't apply latex paint when the temperature is below 50 degrees ℉ unless it's formulated for cold-weather application. Read the label to be sure. Don't paint when there's a chance of rain. Plan a Strategy for the Most Efficiency In general, work from the top down. Paint large areas first and details last. Where two colors meet, allow time for the first color to dry before returning to apply the second color. For example, paint the window sash(the movable part) early in the day and return to paint the frame. around the sash. Avoid These Common Problems Brush marks left at the beginning and end of a brush stroke are a common problem that's easy to avoid. Start every brush stroke in an unfinished area, at an edge, or against door or window trim. Then brush toward the finished area and sweep the brush up and off the work in the same movement. If you stop the brush and then lift it off or set the brush down on a finished area to start the stroke, it will leave extra pain