7 Tips for Maintaining and Extending the Life of Your Paint

7 Tips For Maintaining And Extending The Life Of Your Paint

The outside of your home can be upgraded dramatically with a fresh coat of paint. However, not all paints or paint jobs are created equal. Regardless of your budget, there are several simple ways you can extend the life of your exterior paint job and keep your home looking great. We’ve boiled it down to the top 7 tips for maintaining and extending the life of your paint.

1. Keep It Clean

Gently wash with a garden hose when needed. Once or twice per year, you may want to just take your standard garden hose and lightly spray your home to remove dirt build-up on the exterior. Or let a professional power wash the home annually.

2. Sprinklers

Avoid water contact to the outside of the home by sprinklers. If you have a grass lawn, make sure your sprinklers do not spray up against the side of your house. This can be more difficult on side yards where sprinkler heads are designed to cover a specific or small area. Oftentimes, this can cause water to get consistently sprayed up against the home damaging the paint and eroding the surface. Keeping an eye on the sprinkler spray patterns can not only preserve your exterior paint but also help you avoid costly damage.

3. Foliage

It’s best to keep trees, bushes, and other vegetation from touching the exterior surface of the home. While this may not seem like such a big deal, during a storm or during high winds, limbs and branches can easily score and damage the outside of your home. Early spring and late fall can be a good time to get out and do some regular maintenance if needed.

4. Ivy and Vines

Ivy and vines can give the exterior of your home a unique look, but before you make the decision to let them grow, just understand it’s a long-term commitment. If you decide to remove them later on, you should expect some damage not only to your exterior paint but the exterior surface as well. If you don’t want them, prevention is the best practice.

5. Visual Inspection

Regularly performing a brief visual inspection of your home’s exterior will not only help you determine when to do some light cleaning but can also help you spot items that if left unattended, could lead to even further problems. Damaged siding, fascia boards, and even pesky termites when caught quickly, can be remedied much easier and for less money.

6. Clean Your Gutters

Dirt and debris in your gutters can cause your home to get dirty or ice dams to form causing damage. Regular removal of debris is key to proper maintenance.

7. Freshen With One Coat

Regularly performing a brief visual inspection of your home’s exterior will not only help you determine when to do some light cleaning but can also help you spot and deal with an issue. Sometimes in the middle of the paint life, a one-coat exterior is quick, costs less, and can extend the life of your exterior paint job for a few years.

Call Korth & Shannahan Painting and Carpentry Today

At Korth & Shannahan, we’ve been the painting and carpentry experts in Westchester County since 1979. Voted BEST GENERAL CONTRACTOR by Westchester Magazine.

Call us at 914-238-5388 or email today for a free estimate. Fall is the perfect time to paint and protect your investment.