With a good inspection and decent maintenance, you can keep that new exterior paint job looking new for years to come. Your house is exposed to the elements year round, from excessive heat to excessive cold, wind, rain, and snow. Here are a few tips for maintaining your home’s exterior paint job.
Mold and Mildew
In the shaded and damp areas of your home, mildew can start creeping in on your exterior paint, especially after a couple years of exposure to the weather. Here’s what you can do to keep it at bay:
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Make sure you protect your plants and grass
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Use a 3:1 mixture of water to household bleach
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Apply to the mildewed area plus one foot of margin
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Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes
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Rinse the area thoroughly
Dirt and Chalk
Dirt can accumulate quickly here in the high desert thanks to the wind. Dirt then becomes food for mold and mildew. As time weathers your paint, a chalky pigment gets released resulting in fading colors. Power washing and simple scrubbing are the best ways to remove the dirt and chalk before they become a problem.
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Scrubbing is best done with a mild detergent and a scrub brush, followed by thorough rinsing. Harsh, alkaline cleaners such as TSP can reduce gloss of alkyd paints and of some latex paints
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Power washing is a quick way to put a shine on your house at a fraction of the cost of repainting. If power washing, use care to not lift paint or to damage the substrate. It is an aggressive cleaning method and should not be used more than once per year.
Other Things To Check
While some paints carry long extended warranties, no paint lasts forever. Exterior paint can usually show early signs of aging, and these conditions should be addressed quickly. It’s a good idea to inspect your exterior paint job at least once a year. You’re looking for cracking, peeling, mold and mildew, a reduced gloss sheen, blistering, and significant fading.
Should you find any of the signs of early aging, contact your painter right away and discuss the most effective ways to treat them.
For the best in exterior and interior painting, Central Oregon counts on Greenwood Painting to get the job done right the first time. If you’re considering an exterior paint job and want one that will last and look great for years, call Nate at (541) 699-2940. Or send us a message using our contact form.
