Did you know that cracking and/or peeling paint on the exterior of your house is exposing the surface to water, insects and UV damage. This can lead to rotting and deterioration of wood and other substrates leading to costly repairs. The time to paint is BEFORE the paint starts to peel and crack and inspection for a failing paint job should be a part of your regular yearly maintenance program for your home
What, you may ask, are the signs of a failing paint job if you want to inspect your home yourself? Besides the obvious such as massive amounts of paint peeling from the house, cracking or chipping, some of the most common signs that your house may need new paint are: Fading, the sun has changed the chemical makeup of the paint and it is losing its color and durability. Chalking, caused by fading, the paint comes off the surface as a chalk-like substance. Mildew. Alligatoring, where the paint surface appears like an alligator skin. The symptoms will usually appear first in or near corners, roof edges, around windows and window sills and anywhere there may be a problem with standing water. Inspect these areas first for a hint at more problems to come. Addressing these issues will protect your investment, keep your home looking great, increase the value and potentially save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs and scraping and sanding when you finally do decide to repaint!
When you have identified that your house is ready for new paint, you may want to choose a paint contractor to tackle the job for you. When selecting a contractor, you should ask a few questions to ensure the contractor is an expert in the field. One of the most important questions is “How will you prepare the house before painting?” All surfaces that will be painted should be pressure washed before painting and etched with TSP to ensure proper adhesion of new paint. This thoroughly cleans the areas to be painted, removes wasp nests, mildew and grime and some of the failing paint. All peeling paint should be scraped and sanded. An initial coat of primer should be applied to all bare wood surfaces being painted to ensure the paint will adhere correctly. These would be the areas where paint was peeling and required scraping or sanding to the bare wood.
Materials are another big concern. You want to be sure the contractor uses the best quality paint available that you can afford, and the work is guaranteed. I will address the issues of paint quality and explain in detail in a future article.
Ask the contractor about plans to protect your surroundings. Sidewalks, driveways, shrubbery, lawn furniture, etc., should all be covered with drop clothes for protection. A professional will always have plenty of drop clothes with plans to protect your property.
Ask for a detailed contract clearly stating all work to be done, materials included and the final price.
Always remember that the lowest price may not always be the best. Inexperienced contractors may bid the job too low due to lack of experience or confidence in bidding the proper price. When this happens, the contractor may try to recover losses by hitting you with several up charges along the way or by cutting corners and doing an inferior job. This can result in the price being higher than a more experienced contractor who includes everything in his bid upfront and completes the job in a timely manner and with confidence. Not to mention the headache and stress of having to deal with a less experienced contractor constantly hitting you up for more money!
