It’s easy to forget about your house’s exterior paint. We all have busy lives, and sometimes home upkeep projects fall by the wayside. With your home painting, however, years of neglect can lead to serious problems. Every five to six years, you should be getting on the line with a residential painting contractor to discuss the repainting of your house exterior.
If you’re not sure how long your house has gone unpainted, or if you suspect you might need to get the exterior painted sooner, then keep an eye out for these common problems. If your home is showing the following signs of disrepair, then you know it’s time to call in some exterior painters.
Fading Paint
The exterior paint is your house’s first line of defense against the brutal attacks of Mother Nature. Whatever the weather, the elements are constantly wearing at your home. All those hours of intense sunshine and torrential downpours do a number on your house, and the exterior paint bears the brunt of the abuse. The paint is also the first thing to show its age, with the bright sheen fading away and the colors growing duller.
This fading is much more than just an aesthetic issue. It also means the paint is no longer offering your home the maximum level of protection. Faded paint is weakened paint, and the materials beneath it are not as shielded from the elements as they should be.
If you see fading paint on your home’s exterior, then it’s time to call an exterior painting company. We can take care of the problem and give your house back its shine.
Outdated Color
While protecting the physical components of your home might be the most pressing reason to repaint your exterior, there’s nothing wrong with basing a decision on aesthetic principles. The exterior of your home is the first thing visitors lay their eyes on, and it says a lot about your personality. You want your home to reflect your character as it exists now, not five years ago. There’s no shame in opting for a new color because the old shade just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Maybe you made an impulsive choice with your last paint color, and now you want something more subtle. Or perhaps you’ve had the same-old same-old for decades, and now you know it’s time for something new. Whatever your reasons, you deserve to give your house the look you feel is right.
Styles can also change quickly, and what once seemed perfect can now seem old-fashioned to the point of causing embarrassment. There’s no reason to suffer from a feeling that your house looks like it belongs in an old sitcom.
If your old exterior is no longer doing it for your, don’t hesitate to call. Our painting contractors have years of experience and can help you pick out the color that will rejuvenate your humble abode.
Damaged Wood or Stucco
The elements attack houses from the outside in, slowing chipping away and causing more and more damage. Once the paint starts to go, the wood, drywall, and stucco of the exterior are the next thing to experience damage. This is where you have to seriously worry about the physical well-being of your home.
Signs of exterior cracks and rotting should be dealt with immediately. Sealing the cracks and replacing rotted components is the first order of business, and once these repairs are completed a new layer of paint is in order. If you repair the exterior but then leave them bared to the elements, you’ll only see the damage begin again. A new layer of exterior paint is needed to protect the repaired wood or stucco.
Peeling, Bubbling, or Cracking Paint
If your skin was peeling, bubbling, or cracking, you would know immediately that something was seriously wrong. The same thinking applies to your home’s exterior. Paint should lie flat on a surface, without any bubbles, peeling or cracking. When any of these problems are present, you know it’s time for a new paint job.
These problems are not only an aesthetic concern (although they do look ugly). The peeling, bubbling, and cracking leaves the material beneath the paint entirely exposed. This means the elements will do a number on the material, leading to problems like rot, mold, mildew, and cracking. If you wait for these issues to develop, then you’ll have much more expensive repairs to do down the road. The prudent play is to take care of the paint before any further problems develop.
Moisture Stains and Mildew
Green or gray splotches on your home’s exterior are unsightly and often indicative of more serious problems. Some of these issues are only skin-deep, so you might want to try washing or pressure cleaning before moving on to more drastic measures. If you can’t clean the stains away, then it’s time to call in the residential painting contractor.
For one thing, exterior painters can help you determine if there’s a more serious issue with your home than the ugliness of the stain. If the material underneath the paint is damaged, then you might need to repair your home’s exterior before moving on to the painting step. If the integrity of the material is not compromised, however, then a simple paint job should take care of the problem.
Chalky Residue
Every single day, your home’s exterior paint is subject to some combination of sunlight and moisture. Over time, these elements do a number on the integrity of the paint. The binder of the paint slowly deteriorates, and the pigment that once looked so fresh gradually disappears. When this happens, the paint often leaves a chalky residue on the outside of your home, which is a tell-tale sign that it’s time to apply new paint.
To check for this chalky substance, simply run a towel or your hand over the paint. If you’re left with a streak of whitish residue, then you know your house’s exterior is in trouble. The chalky gunk takes away from your house’s shine, adding to the faded look of the aging paint. It can also damage the material beneath, leading to more serious damage. For both aesthetic and structural reasons, your best bet is to call an exterior painting company at the first sign of this problem.
Your home is the center of your world, and the exterior of your home provides the first level of protection to yourself and your family against the elements. The paint on your house’s exterior defines your home’s look and helps keep it secure. To leave your house with old or faded paint is to willfully welcome the onslaught of the elements. You might think no serious damage will occur, but eventually Mother Nature will prove you wrong.
If your home has any of the problems listed above, then call us immediately. In Lenexa KS and Lawrence KS, Absolute Painting provides excellent service at a fair and honest price. Give us a shout, and we can get to work choosing colors and scheduling appointments. It’s the first step toward giving your house the protection and shine it deserves.
