How to Paint the Exterior of Ranch Houses

Remove old paint from the exterior of the home. Use a wire brush and paint scraper to do the job by hand, or a power washer for a high pressure washing of the home. Power washing is the best choice if it is available, especially for homes with metal or vinyl siding. Power wash by connecting the hose to the power washer and using the special high pressure tip. Wash the home down using the pressure to 'scrub' off any peeling paint, dust and loose material. You can do the same with a wire brush and scraper. In some cases where the wood is very old this may be necessary as dampening the wood may not be an option. Hand scrape any loose paint, caulk or debris from the home with the metal scraper and brush, being careful to get into nooks and crannies.

Cover all fixtures you do not want primed or painted such as windows, exterior lights, door handles or door bells. Cover larger items with the plastic sheeting and tape carefully around the edges so the paint line will be neat and clean. Small fixtures such as a door bell can be covered with just the masking tape.

Prime the exterior surfaces of your ranch style home using the best quality exterior primer you can purchase. You can have the primer tinted to a lighter shade of the paint color you will be using, but this is not necessary. Brush and roll the primer by hand, or use an airless paint sprayer. For most surfaces brushing and rolling does the best job and allows you to see the surface up close and make sure it is covered with the products. The technique is the same for wood, metal or vinyl siding, although an airless sprayer would be best suited to metal or vinyl siding rather than the wood. Start with a small area at the highest point. Even though the ranch home is one story you will need a ladder to reach the higher areas. Paint a section about 4 feet by 4 feet, then move on to the next section, making sure the product blends. If using the sprayer, painting the edges or 'cutting in' with a brush by hand is still necessary.

Caulk any gaps with a good exterior caulk. Elastomeric caulk is a great choice because it is flexible, paintable and will not dry out and crack as easily as latex caulk. Latex caulk is acceptable but does not have the durability that a better caulk does. It is best not to use silicone caulk on surfaces you are painting, as the paint will not adhere to the caulk and it will peel. Check along soffits, where windows meet the siding material, or anywhere a gap between the exterior materials may exist. This protects your house from water penetration.

Apply the exterior paint in the same manner you used for the primer. Again, purchase the best exterior paint you can afford. Paints that have a lifetime guarantee are a good choice if they fit in your budget. Latex is generally a good choice as it cleans up well, is durable and will paint most exterior surfaces. Oil-based paint can be used but is less appealing due to clean up, fumes and difficulty in application. Blend the edges of each area as you go along so there are no streaks. Repaint about four inches of your previous section when starting a new section, especially if you did not finish in one day and you have restarted the job from a finishing point that has already dried.

Paint the trim on the home once the main surfaces are completed. This will ensure any over-painting from the siding does not mar the newly painted trim. The paint should be the same product as the siding paint, and can be in the same color, but often it is a complimentary color or white. Paint the trim by hand using a brush since it is small and requires a finer touch.