The inside scoop on outdoor paint

ouse-painting season is here.

Before you panic about paint, rest assured the job is easier and faster than it used to be, and the basic essentials -- paint, brushes, sprayers -- are better, too.

"Painting a house isn't the chore it once was," said Ben Mauceri, the exterior paint expert for Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse. "Paint on the market today lasts longer, goes on easier, and looks better."

Acrylics remain the paint of choice. Most top-shelf paints are 100 percent acrylic. Acrylics embody everything homeowners want in paint. This includes smooth, even coverage, a wider variety of color choices, quick drying time, the ability to withstand weather, and easy cleanup.

According to Randy Schuetz of Valspar Paint, homeowners gravitate to paints that last longer and allow them to customize their color selections. "Homeowners want a minimum of time investment for a maximum of longevity," said Schuetz. "They want to apply it and forget about it for a long time."

Today's acrylics last up to 25 years before a new coat is needed. Expect to pay $18 to $24 per gallon for top-quality paint.

Schuetz says an abundance of four components separates good paint from also-rans: pigments, binders, additives and liquids. Pigment provides color and enough density for single-coat coverage. The binder does just that -- binds paint to a surface. Additives thicken paint or add properties to resist weather or to stave off mildew. Better paints will contain more of these three components. The final ingredient -- liquid -- merely serves to carry the components before evaporating.

Rain, cold, heat, humidity and sun may all take a toll on paint, but what lurks below the painted surface dictates to a greater degree how long the paint job will last.

Experts say paint is only as good as what it is applied to. "More than 90 percent of all paint failure is due to poor surface preparation," estimated Schuetz, who counsels homeowners to prepare -- or repair -- the surface to avoid repainting on a frequent basis. "If you paint over problems that aren't corrected, you just create more work for yourself. If your paint peels or bubbles, there's an underlying problem you need to repair," said Schuetz. After correcting the problem or reason for the paint failure, scrape away all loose and peeling paint, lightly sand to a smooth finish and apply a primer to seal the surface.

Surfaces that do not expand or contract such as stucco or fiberboard are ideal receptors for paint. Cedar and redwood are fine, too, as long as the surface is clean and free of moisture. Priming is a must before painting wood.

The final step is application. If you use a sprayer, work the paint into the surface by "back-rolling" with a roller or brush immediately after spraying. This collapses bubbles and evens out the coat. Old-fashion application with a brush yields good results, too.

The real music to homeowners' ears are the words "easy cleanup."

"That's the other thing homeowners want to know about, how easy is the cleanup process," said Mauceri, who thinks acrylics fill the bill nicely. "There's no better feeling than knowing soap and water are all you need to get your tools, and yourself, cleaned up."