When you want to freshen up a fence, a garage, or your home's exterior, the cheapest and least expensive approach is to coat the structure with paint. If you think that this is the way you want to go, you will need to know a few things and do a few things to get this project started. What you need to know and do is as follows.

​Weatherproof Exterior Latex Paint

​Shop for weatherproof exterior latex paint. The latex paint will stick best to the vinyl siding of your home or garage, and to the vinyl that comprises most fences. (If your fence is wood, you do have the option of buying oil-based paint, but latex is a better option because of its durability.) The paint must also be weatherproof to withstand sun, wind, rain, snow, ice, and hail. Choose your colors, and then make sure it is the right kind of paint and the right amount of paint to cover the job.

​Paint Sprayers or Spray Rollers

​As far as how to apply your paint, most professional painters recommend a spray roller that automatically applies paint to the roller while you paint. Another option is a paint sprayer, which applies paint in perfectly even layers and strokes with each pass and each spray of the paint. A fence is best painted with the spray roller, while a paint sprayer is more ideal for painting your house or garage.

Lots of Tarps and Drop Cloths

​Even though you are painting outside, you still need tarps or drop cloths. You apply the tarps to the windows, doors, and other features you do not want to paint. You place the drop cloths over the ground to prevent paint from being absorbed into the soil and causing toxic levels of paint binders and plastics from building up in the groundwater. 

An Exterior Painting Contractor

​If you want the most perfect painting job of your exterior surfaces, hire an exterior painting contractor. The contractor has years of experience and can make the job look the best it can be. Additionally, when you purchase all of your supplies ahead of time, the contractor does not have to buy much, which saves you a lot of money. In short, you are just hiring the contractor to work with the materials you purchased and complete the job were unable to start or finish.

Contact a company, like DBO Company, for more help.