Break Out the Paint Brush

By John Focht

The autumn is a great time of year for being outside.  The kid’s outdoor sports and activities usually keep most parents pretty busy running around from one event to the next.  In between those activities, you should take a moment to soak in the fresh fall air, enjoy the beauty of the fall foliage, and maybe even enjoy the warmth and coziness of a fireplace or a fire pit on a brisk fall night.

But what about the things that need to get done at home?  You know the fall chores like raking the leaves, clearing the gutters, and sealing the driveway?

With all the outdoor work you need to get accomplished this time of year, be sure not to overlook painting as one of the must-do’s on your list.  The autumn season is a wonderful time of year to get any exterior painting done around the window panes and door frames.  The weather conditions are just right to freshen up the outside of your house a bit in preparation for winter.  Daytime and evening temperatures are never too cool or too hot this time of year for outdoor painting to dry effectively.

Start your fall paint job by first looking around outside and inspecting the condition of the exterior window frames and door frames.  If it’s been a while since you painted, odds are you will see areas that desperately need your attention.

Before you head off to get your gallon or two of paint though, be sure to scrub and clean the window and door frames.  Sometimes the only thing you need to do to freshen up the exterior of your house is provide it a little elbow grease.  Get a hot bucket of soapy water and go to work.  Often times, if the window and door frames do only require a simple cleaning, dish soap will do the trick in cleaning off the gook and grime that has accumulated on your window and door frames over the past season or two.

Even if you still need to paint your window and door frames, you would have had to clean them anyway prior to painting, so don’t consider it a wasted activity.  After all, if you would have painted without cleaning the dust, spider webs, and dirt off the window and door frames, you would have just painted them directly into the frames.  Cleaning the surface should be your first task no matter what you are painting whether it is an indoor or outdoor painting job.

Once you have completed your task of painting the exterior window and door frames to your house, take a step back and take notice how a simple painting job of the window and door frames has freshened up your home.  (Be aware guys, now that you have completed this painting assignment, there will probably be a few more painting assignments your wife assigns you before the fall season is over).

A fresh coat of paint does wonders to freshen up the exterior look of your home, but it’s not an activity you probably want to get yourself involved in every year.  To keep your exterior looking fresh, put a to-do item on your list for every spring and fall to just clean the window and door frames with hot soapy water.  Cleaning your window and door frames a few times a year will not only keep your exterior looking fresh, but will also help add to the life of your window and door frames.