The document provides instructions for painting a shed in 6 steps: 1) Clean surfaces and set nail heads, 2) Prime unprimed surfaces, 3) Caulk nail heads and cracks, 4) Paint exterior trim starting from the top down, 5) Cut in the main color around the trim, and 6) Paint the main body using a roller from top to bottom in overlapping strokes. The instructions emphasize starting at the top and working down to avoid drips, applying two coats of paint, and overlapping wet paint.

1. HOW TO BUILD A SHED?
11. HOW TO PAINT A
SHED

2. Step 1: Set the nail heads and clean the surfaces
The first step to painting the shed is to make sure that the surfaces are
clean and any nail heads are set into the wood.

3. Step 1: (Cont’d)
Look at each surface for any nail heads that are sticking up and use a
hammer to nail them flush with the surface. If there is sawdust on the
surface of the shed you should take a wet rag and wash the surfaces.

4. Step 2: Priming the shed walls
 The second step is to prime the surfaces of the shed.
Primer is designed to help the paint bind to the wood
surface. It also seals the wood surface so that the paint
will go on and dry evenly which allows the finished paint
coat to cure properly.
 You will also use less paint to paint a primed surface than
when painting a surface that has not been primed..
 The siding panels and trim we used came with a pre-
primed finish so we will not need to install primer on this
shed.
 If you need to prime your shed you will install the primer
on all the un primed surfaces

5. Step 3: Install caulking on the shed
The third step is to apply caulking over nail heads and cracks. Nail heads can
be left un-caulked but by applying a bit of caulk you can make them almost
disappear.

6. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Prepare the caulking tube by cutting off the end of the tip with a sharp knife
at about a 45 degree angle. You want to cut very close to the end so that you
have a ⅛ inch diameter opening.

7. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Start by working on a few nail heads at a time. Apply a dap of caulk to as
many nail heads you can without it drying before you finish. Then use a wet
finger to push the caulk into the cracks and make the surface of the caulking
level with the surface of the wood without creating a concave surface.

8. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Now take a wet paint brush and brush the surface of the caulking so the
caulking gets a brushed texture and the caulking on the wood surface blends
in with the wood pattern.

9. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Installing caulking on the corner joint between the trim and the shed walls
will create a nice finish to your paint job.
Caulked corners are much easier to paint a straight line on when painting
the trim a different color from the main body.

10. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Place the tip of the caulking tube on the corner joint and apply caulking into
the corner while moving the caulking tip along the corner joint. The trick to
applying caulking is to apply the minimal amount of caulk needed to fill the
joint.
Try to keep moving along the corner joint at the same rate of speed so the
bead of caulk is even.

11. Step 3: (Cont’d)
Now take a wet rag and use it to get your finger wet and run your finger along
the corner joint to press the caulking into the joint and smooth the edges on
the trim and siding. You may need to periodically clean your finger on the wet
rag and refresh the wetness on your fingertip.

12. Step 4: Paint the shed exterior trim
The fourth step is to paint the trim. When painting you should always start
high and work down. This allows gravity that pulls paint drips down to help
you instead of work against you

13. Step 4: (Cont’d)
Try to work on one wall of a time and paint all the trim on one wall before
moving to the next. This reduces the times you need to move your equipment
and materials.

14. Step 4: (Cont’d)
Start at the roof eves and apply paint to the trim and soffit. Use long strokes
when brushing and work from one end of the piece of trim to the other so
that you are always installing new paint on top of the wet paint edge.
It is easier to paint the shed before the roof drip edge is installed.

15. Step 4: (Cont’d)
After the fascia and soffit are painted you can move down to the corner trim.
Start at the top and work your way down. The paint should fully cover the
trim and slightly go onto the shed walls.

16. Step 4: (Cont’d)
The door trim is painted in the same manner as the corner trim. You will need
to tape off the hinges so that they do not get paint on them. Apply tape to the
hinge surfaces and then use a utility knife to cut off any pieces of tape that
touch the shed walls.

17. Step 4: (Cont’d)
Make sure to remove the tape as soon as the paint is dry.
You will typically need to apply two coats of trim paint to make sure that you
have even coverage.

18. Step 4: (Cont’d)
Check the application instructions on your paint can to verify how soon after
the first coat of paint is applied that you can apply the second coat. Remember
that factors like air temperature, humidity and wind will change the speed at
which the paint will dry.

19. Step 5: Cut the body paint in around the trim
The fifth step is to cut in the main color around the trim. This creates a
clean line between the trim paint and the main body paint.

20. Step 5: (Cont’d)
Install 1 inch painters tape on the trim side of the corner joint. Use long
pieces of tape to make sure that you get a straight line. Stick one end of
the tape to the trim with the edge in the corner joint and pull a few feet of
tape out and align it with the joint and then press it into the joint.

21. Step 5: (Cont’d)
Use a 2 inch angled paint brush to cut in around the trim. Once again,
work from the top down to keep ahead of any drips. After getting a good
line along the corner between the trim and the wall you will paint a 2 inch
wide strip on the shed wall.

22. Step 5: (Cont’d)
Cut in all the trim to shed wall connections before moving on to paint the
shed walls.

23. Step 6: Paint the main body of the shed walls
The sixth step is to use a paint roller to paint the main body of the shed.

24. Step 6: (Cont’d)
When using a roller you will work from one end of a shed wall to the other,
load the roller with paint and then roll the paint on in full lines from the top
of the wall to the bottom before moving down the wall..

25. Step 6: (Cont’d)
Roll up and down several times to make sure that you get paint in all the
surface variations. Sometimes it helps to lift the roller and spin it so that
the same part of the roller is not always on the same part of the wall
surface.

26. Step 6: (Cont’d)
Load the roller with paint again and paint the next line in the same way.
Overlap the first line by about 2 inches. This allows any new paint to easily
mix with the paint that was previously applied and reduces the chance of
roller lines showing up when the paint dries.

27. Step 6: (Cont’d)
You always want to apply new paint onto the wet edge of the paint you
previously applied.

28. Step 6: (Cont’d)
Work your way around the shed and paint all the surfaces. You will
typically need to apply two coats of paint to make sure that you have even
coverage.
Remove the tape after the second coat of paint is applied.

29. EXTRA STUFF
 If you are not able to get a straight line between the trim
and the shed wall using the freehand method you may
use tape to mask off the trim.
 It is easier to paint the fascia before the roof drip edge is
installed but we installed this roof before painting to dry
the shed in before a rain storm. We lifted the drip edge
up with a spackle or joint knife and then painted under it.
 It is easier to paint the shed before the roof drip edge and
door are installed but we wanted to get the roof on this
shed before a rain storm so we will pry the drip edge up
to paint under it and tape off the door hardware to paint
around it..

30. THE END
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