The Professional Painters
Protecting your Investment
Property owners are aware of the need for regular maintenance. Unfortunately, many overlook the need for regular maintenance on their exterior paint.
Exterior paint can be subjected to harsh conditions. Summer temperatures cause wood, paint, caulk, and other construction products to expand, often resulting in cracked caulk lines and damage to the paint film. Regular maintenance is imperative for protecting exterior paint.
Such maintenance should be performed at least annually, and should include removing all dirt and mildew from painted surfaces, inspecting caulk lines, and inspecting for rotted wood. Defective caulk and rotted wood should be replaced. Damage to painted surfaces should be properly prepared and touched up.
Even newer properties need such annual maintenance. Many builders use inferior caulks and paints. Inferior caulks quickly become hard and brittle, resulting in cracks that permit water intrusion under the paint film and into the exposed wood. The result can be peeling paint and/or rotting wood.
Inferior paints are susceptible to mildew growth, which can damage the paint film, as well as premature fading.
An annual maintenance program, consisting of cleaning the exterior with a high pressure waterblaster, (using bio-dynamic products so the surrounding flora is not damaged) and inspecting for damage to wood, caulk, and paint, can add years to the life of a paint job and reduce repair costs considerably.