Your home is arguably the most important and most expensive investment you will ever make in your lifetime. So obviously maintaining that home to get the most life out of it is critical. Exterior painting maintenance is important! Regularly painting your home’s exterior is not just about aesthetics, it’s about protection. If the paint on your home is failing, chances are good the wood or siding has started to deteriorate as well. The cost of painting your home on a regular basis (about every 7-10 years) will save you the headaches and expense of major repair costs if you wait until the paint has completely failed.
Once you’ve got a fresh coat of exterior paint, professional painters will tell you exterior painting maintenance is important as well. There are several things you should be doing each year to prolong the life of your paint and to protect your home.
Every year or two, wash the exterior of your home with a mild soap and water. You can use a sponge or a soft bristled brush and scrub lightly to get rid of any stuck on debris that has accumulated. Then, use a hose to rinse. Another method is to power wash the home with a mild detergent mixture. However, with a pressure washer you must not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended PSI for the substrate you are washing. Some pressures are too high and will damage the wood or siding instead of just cleaning it.
Another area where exterior painting maintenance is important is caulking. It is important to check the caulking around windows and doors for areas where it has cracked and failed. Going over these areas with a new bead of caulk will prevent moisture from getting behind the boards and causing warping and rotting.
The next thing to check each year are areas where the paint may be starting to fade or chalk. Some areas of a home can fade much faster than others. The reasons for this are exposure to elements, the material the substrate is made from, the direction they face, and the color. These fading areas should be touched up each year when you start to notice the slightest bit of fading or chalking. Once they have completely failed, you are inviting moisture damage.
Exterior painting maintenance is important even in those areas you might not think to check. Inspecting gutters and downspouts each year to ensure they are directing water away from your home is critical. The failure of a gutter or downspout can not only cause damage to the exterior of your home and paint, it can cause catastrophic damage to the foundation.
Inspecting all the landscaped areas around your home, fence, and deck should also be on your yearly check list. Trees or bushes rubbing or resting on your home will cause damage to paint and siding. So will any other plantings or fallen leaves that rest against your home. These are often missed culprits that hold moisture against your home and cause moisture damage. Time spent cleaning the debris and cutting back plantings away from your home, fence, or deck will save unnecessary costs in the long run!
Additional areas where exterior painting maintenance is important is with decks and fences. Sealed or painted decks and fences fail much quicker than homes. These areas typically need redoing every 1-3 years. The accelerated failure of paint or stain on decks is mostly due to the horizontal surface area. These horizontal surfaces have to endure the continual cycle of freezing and thawing of water that rests directly on their surfaces. Fences typically get lots of repeated sprinkler water and abuse beyond what a home gets therefore need an additional amount of attention.
Don’t wait until your paint has completely failed before painting. Waiting until this point will typically end up costing you a lot more money in the long run. Yearly exterior painting maintenance is important and waiting until the paint has completely failed, usually means the caulking has also failed. This means, moisture has likely gotten behind the boards and caused damage. Moisture damage will cause boards to mold, rot, and warp and is beyond what can be easily repaired. Once this happens, you must replace those boards which can lead to great expense.
Keeping your home on a regular painting schedule will protect your greatest investment! Exterior painting maintenance is important to protect your home from damage from the elements and your own landscaping! Preventative maintenance is worth the time and effort you spend. You’ll be happy you’ve done it and will enjoy more years from your paint!
