You've found the perfect color for your house. The paint, brushes and rollers are loaded in your car. Even the weather is cooperating. A day of painting beckons.

But wait. Before your home's transformation can begin, you'll need to invest some time and energy in surface preparation - and that means scraping, sanding and priming.

"Without a doubt, the most common mistake people make is they don't spend enough time on preparation," said Russell Lisko, a sales representative at Sherwin Williams. "About 80 percent of paint failures are due to lack of or improper preparation."

In the rush to start painting, many homeowners will skip those important first steps. But experts say that's a big mistake.

"Usually a person who really takes care of their home will spend a fair amount of time prepping their home," said Robert Anderson, a painter at Berendse & Sons Painting. "The reality is, the most important thing if you want to keep that nice expensive finish on the house is to prep correctly."

Proper preparation means a paint job that looks more professional and will last longer, protecting your investment for years to come.

"If you have peeling on wood now and you just scrape that off and paint over it, chances are you'll have peeling next year," Lisko said. "You need to find the reason it's peeling - if the wood is turning gray, it's rotting."

Lisko has a simple way to explain if a house is ready for paint: "It has to be clean, dry and dull," he said.

Siding and trim should be washed, rinsed and allowed to dry. Areas with loose paint should be scraped and sanded. Bare spots should be sealed with a primer. And shiny surfaces need to be "dulled down."

Garage doors or gutters are good examples. "If you just paint those, the paint won't stick," said Lisko. Sanding gives the surface "teeth" so the paint will adhere.

Lisko also recommends using a primer that's designed specifically for the surface you're painting, whether it's masonry or wood. And make sure you have the proper equipment, including scrapers, sandpaper, brushes and rollers.

One tool he's especially fond of is the "weenie roller."

"If you're not very good at brushing, you can use it to paint small areas that you normally would brush," he said. At ¾-inch in diameter, you can roll right into corners and get under lap siding.

"Get yourself the right tools, be safe and get yourself a good ladder," he said.

Anderson said mistakes can be made before you even start the job.

"Something that I see a lot of people do is that they try to spend the least amount of money possible," said Anderson. "For what it protects, it does make a difference if you go for the quality."

Lisko agreed. "There's a reason something is more per gallon," he said. Paint is "thinner than a sheet of paper, but we expect it to last 20 years, and many of them can," he said.

Anderson said that higher quality paint, which will withstand the elements better than a cheaper type and may actually save money in the long run, is also easier to apply and will end up saving you time.

"People have better things to do than to spend too much time painting their house," he said.

Anderson also advises homeowners to ask for advice when necessary. "If you can't afford a professional, don't be afraid to call one up," he said. "We like to see it done right, no matter who does it."

Contact Deanna Darr at 394-8416 or deanna.darr@rapidcityjournal.com.

Ready, set, paint

From preparation to painting:

y Cover bushes and trees with a tarp to protect them.

y Dig a shallow trench around the house so you can paint below ground level, if necessary.

y To estimate how much paint you'll need, know the square footage of your home and a salesperson at the paint store will help you figure the number of gallons required. Hint: A good rule of thumb is one quart of trim for every gallon you buy.

y Get a ladder for reaching high parts of the house. Use ladder mitts on the ends of the ladder to prevent the paint from scraping off.

y Wash the surface with a gentle pressure tip, using a brush on stubborn areas. If mildew is a problem, use a 50/50 solution of bleach and water; rinse thoroughly.

y Scrape loose paint-this step should not be skipped.

y Sand out ridges with a block of sandpaper.

y Rinse with water. Lay a tarp on the ground to catch loose paint chips.

y Prime bare wood spots with a primer to seal them.

y Prime all over with acrylic latex primer tinted to house color.

y Cut in edges with a brush. Use a roller for broad surfaces, then lay off paint with a brush, stroking in the same direction as the grain of the wood.

y Do not skimp on paint and apply it too sparingly. This could make it necessary to apply two coats. However, do not apply so much paint that it drips, bubbles and sags. Just load up a brush with paint, tap it on the edge to remove the excess, then apply.

y According to painting etiquette, paint into wet paint so that the most recent stroke of paint blends in with what has already been applied. Painting away from wet paint may cause noticeable overlap marks, shading differences or blotchy areas.

y Do not stop painting for the day in the middle of a board. Find the end of that board and paint up to it, then stop. Otherwise there may be streaking or inconsistencies in the look.

-HGTV

Painting the trim

y Scrape loose paint, using a 5-in-1 tool.

y Seal bare wood areas with primer.

y Caulk around windows.

y Paint, working out: Paint mullions first, then edges. Always work in this order: top, bottom, sides.

y To paint a paneled door: First cut in insets with a brush, roll the flat sections, then go back and lay off paint with a brush. Next paint the edge of the door. Working on the surface again, paint the horizontal areas, working from top to bottom. Finish with vertical sections, painting toward the doorknob first, then working from top to bottom. Lay off with nice, long strokes.

-HGTV