The Smartest Way to Paint Your Siding

Brush dirt and debris from the siding with a broom. Start at the top and sweep back and forth as you come down the siding.

Fill a bucket with warm water and 1 tbsp. of liquid dish soap. Wet a large sponge with the cleaning solution. Clean the siding with the sponge, starting at the top and working your way down. Spray the soap suds from the siding with the garden hose. Avoid pointing the water stream up behind the siding. Sweep the water back and forth over the siding to remove soap suds. Continue to the next section of siding and repeat. Allow the siding to dry completely.

Tape around windows, shutters, door, decks, trim and patios. Lay tarps or old sheets on the ground or sidewalks to protect them from paint stains.

Apply a primer coat of paint similar to the paint shade. Wet a paint roller or 4-inch paintbrush with primer and begin painting at the top, working down. Apply the primer with up-and-down motions, working in 3- to 4-foot sections. Clean the brushes and rollers with the water hose and allow them to dry overnight.

Apply paint to the siding in the same manner as the primer, working from top to bottom with up-and-down strokes. Apply two coats of paint, if needed, to achieve the color you desire.

Peel the tape off the exterior of the house after the paint has dried completely.