Last summer our house was painted by me. first, the exterior was washed using warm water and a mild detergent. then all of the chinks in the walls were sealed with putty. after the putty had had a chance to dry, the exterior could be painted. a latex paint was used because it is easy to apply and cleans up with water. a whole week was needed to finish this part of the job. a color was used that was very close to the original color. when the job was finished, a great deal of satisfaction was felt by me. even my dad said that a good job was done.