A Good Exterior Paint

Job Entails Many TasksBy Monk’s Home

Improvements

According to advice issued by experts at A. Albright

Painting in an article completed for The

Magazine of Santa Clarita, not all facets of an

exterior paint job are created equal. The bulk

of the paint job should last five to ten years.

However, there are other details to consider—other

smaller, yet equally important, parts of the job to maintain, as they may be in need of touching up far more frequently than the bulk of the exterior of

the home may be.

There are several factors that contribute to the life expectancy of an exterior

paint job. Climate is obviously a factor, both in terms of damage done by moisture and the affect of

the sun.

The southern and western facing walls, which receive the most direct exposure to the sun, will often fade

notably faster than the shady sides. These walls may need to be painted

more frequently to accommodate for the affects of the UV rays.

Surface type can also play a role in this issue.

Painted stucco holds up the best, usually having notably better longevity

than painted wood.

Wood, in general, is one of the hardest surfaces to successfully hold its paint

job, particularly in the issue of new growth wood

—the material that has replaced old growth forests as the go-to material in building

homes.

The old wood was denser, more stable and, therefore,

held paint jobs far better than the new materials.

Paint quality also needs to be taken under

consideration. Overall, the quality of paint has

increased rapidly in recent years; acrylic

resin-based paints don’t fade nearly as fast and

have become more flexible.

These paints are able to breath far better than the previous oil-based paints could, lengthening the

longevity of the paint job. Coats should also be focused on, with the

simple rule being favor two coats over one.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the exterior paint job is the

preparation work. Aggressive scraping and

sanding, as well as intensive caulking and

filling to lock out moisture are a must to lay the

groundwork before setting in to paint.

The highest quality of materials must be sought, or all the prep work will be

for naught.

Fundamentally, the experts at A. Albright Painting suggest only

doing what needs done; frequently, the homes entire exterior will not

need a new coat of paint. Sometimes, only certain walls or the wood trim of stucco may need a bit of

a touch up.