From intense solar rays to heavy rains, weather can be hard on your home. Exposure to the elements may cause chipping, cracking or fading paint on your home’s exterior. Here are some suggestions on caring for your exterior paint, so you can help keep your home in great shape.
Touch-Ups vs. Repainting
According to This Old House, a properly applied exterior paint job can last up to 15 years. Not sure when your place last got a fresh coat? BrightNest suggests thoroughly inspecting your home’s exterior once a year to look for faded or chipped spots. Regularly checking the condition of your home’s exterior paint can help determine whether you should touch up or repaint your entire house.
This Old House offers a tip for assessing your home’s wooden exterior surfaces and deciding how much work is ahead of you. First, it may be beneficial to start in a spot where the paint is in the worst condition. Clean the surface well, and paint a small patch on the cleaned surface. Once dried, apply a piece of painter’s tape to the newly painted area, and quickly remove the tape. If the tape comes off clean, you may able to just touch up your exterior paint after cleaning and prepping. If the tape pulls off paint, the house may need to be stripped down to the wood before repainting. Consult a professional if you’re unsure whether a touch-up project or an entire repainting job is necessary.
Tips for Touching Up Your Home’s Paint Job
BrightNest lists a few guidelines to keep in mind when touching up your home’s siding, trimming or gutters with paint:
- Walk around and identify any areas that have chipped, peeling, flaking, bubbling or fading paint.
- Thoroughly clean any surface you’re planning to paint. Be sure to remove any dirt, mildew or grime.
- Scrape away loose paint with a scraper, wire brush or steel wool. Don’t be afraid of too much paint coming off. BrightNest says if the paint keeps coming off, keep scraping. After you’re done removing all the paint, fine-grit sand paper can be used to smooth the surface if needed.
- Apply a primer to prepare the surface and help the paint properly adhere to your home.
- When touching up, apply the new paint the same way you did the old paint. If unsure, consult a local home improvement store, says BrightNest.
- Be sure to blend the new coat of paint into the old surrounding paint by spreading the new paint a little outside of the touch-up zone.
- Once the paint is dry, check to make sure it blends in well with the old paint. If the paint needs to be darkened, a second or third coat may darken the color.
Repainting Your Home’s Exterior: Consult a Professional
Repainting your entire home is a big task — one that may require hiring a professional. Consumer Reports suggests doing the following when looking for exterior painters to hire:
- Reach out to at least three different contractors regarding your painting needs.
- Make sure your expectations are clear.
- Get a broken-down estimate in writing from each potential contractor. Make sure it includes material and labor costs.
- Ask for references for past work.
- Look at their credentials. Make sure they have proper licensing, and check with the Better Business Bureau and attorney general’s office to see if there are any unresolved complaints.
Your house is a big investment that provides shelter for your family year round. Maintaining its exterior paint job is one step to help make sure you’re protecting your investment for years to come.
