How to help prevent exterior paint from fading

The effects that the Sun has on your home

There are many things that can contribute to the paint on your home fading, but the sun is the biggest factor. Your paint has to protect your home from all the elements, wind, rain, mold and sun with all these trying their best to break down the outer paint layer.

But sun beating on the south side of the house is the #1 culprit to paint fading, and hardest to guard against. Here are a few things that will help -

Paint Quality

Buy the best paint you can afford, many of the better paints have more pigments, and are fade resistant. When painting always be sure to do recommended mil thickness, or two full coats of paint. A higher sheen than flat will also reflect the suns rays away.

Paints are getting better every year and a high quality Acrylic Latex will last a long time.

Do colors matter?

Yes, some colors are definitely better than others. Organic colors such as Blues, Yellows and Bright Red are more prone to harmful UV rays and fading than Inorganic colors such as Browns,Tans and Beiges or most the earth tones or lighter colors.

How long will a paint job last?

A typical exterior paint job should last 7 to 10 years, some more some less depending on exposure to elements. If you have a south side of home that gets hit hard you might want to think about painting that side half way through or after say 3 years.

When is it time to paint?

Always keep an eye on the exterior of your home, one of the first things you will probably see is the paint getting a chalky look or fading in spots, the caulking cracking around windows and doors, or peeling of paint (normally on gables at roof line). Any of these signs mean the paint is breaking down and you should do something soon to prevent any damage to the substrate underneath or water intrusion in joints

As always if we can help in any way from questions to painting, please let us know here at CHS Painting

503-543-4875