“Put a Coat on!”

Put a coat on!

On the First Coast especially, it is a good idea to carefully maintain the exterior of your home. We all want our homes to look nice, a good looking home is important for holding or increasing value, but it is not only about appearance. Making sure the exterior of your home is not exposed to the elements could save you quite a bit of time and/or money. There is no real rule to follow as far as how often you should do it, there are many factors that come into play.

If you have vinyl siding you probably do not need to paint as often compared to those with different exterior construction materials, but you do need to be more choosy with your paint when you do. If you have wood siding it is more important to stay on top of things to prevent degradation. Brick doesn’t need to be painted at all, but most homes aren’t entirely brick. With paint costs somewhere between $500 and $1500 for the average house, it is usually not a cheap project but less expensive than repairing or replacing the siding due to it breaking down prematurely.

In the Sunshine State we don’t typically have to worry about freezing but, as the name implies we do get quite a bit of UV rays. Along the coast we also get salt spray both can break down paint. There are a number of things that can happen to paint over time.

Blistering is paint separating from the surface. It can be caused by painting on a wall what is too hot, painting when the surface is not dry, painting in humid conditions, or moisture escaping through walls due to improper ventilation. Checking caulking and ventilation can help prevent this from happening or getting worse. Just painting over it will not make the problem disappear, proper preparation is especially important when making repairs. If left untreated, blistering can lead to peeling.

Peeling, this one is the most common issue. It can be caused by blistering paint not being fixed properly, or excessive moisture. A wet surface before, during or after painting can cause the paint to fail to bod with the surface underneath. When painting in Florida’s humid environment, it can be more difficult to avoid moisture but it is key to a lasting finish.

Cracking is most prevalent in oil based paint and can be caused by aging, temperature fluctuation or improper application. As it ages paint looses elasticity, if the second coat was applied when the first was still too damp, they can expand at different rates causing one or the other to crack. Painting with one type of paint over something different can cause this issue too, such as oil based or enamel on top of latex paint. Check with an expert before you paint to make sure you aren’t going to make more work for yourself.

Fading is seen more quickly on darker colors, that seems fairly obvious, using a higher quality paint can extend the life of your finish. Fading can be an early indication that it is time to put on another coat, this is about the only time you are going hear that phrase in Jacksonville.

I am not aware of any scientific test for the perfect time to paint. Keep an eye on your homes exterior condition, that is the best way to know. Don’t put it off too long. No one wants to paint in the North Florida heat, as discussed above that might not be the best time to do it anyway, but leaving your home’s exterior exposed for too long can turn into more extensive and costly repairs down the line. I’ll be painting our home soon. If you want to do a trial run, I think we can round up some extra rollers.

If you would like to sell your home, or know someone who is, keep us in mind! We know the perfect way to show everyone the brand new paint job.