5 Signs That It’s Time for Exterior Painting in San Diego

Ready for our best paint­ing advice?

Don’t let your paint and stain dete­ri­o­rate com­plete­ly before call­ing a pro­fes­sion­al exte­ri­or paint­ing com­pa­ny. It might feel like you’re get­ting the most val­ue pos­si­ble out of your last repaint, squeez­ing every drop of life out of it, but what you’re real­ly doing is mak­ing your home vul­ner­a­ble to dam­age and decay. In turn, that becomes a big­ger, more expen­sive project down the road. 

Your best course of action is to care­ful­ly watch for signs that it’s time to paint and stain, invest in rou­tine main­te­nance and touch-ups, and avoid coat­ing failure. 

Is your home ready for paint or stain? Here’s how you can tell.

Fad­ing and Chalking

One of the most obvi­ous signs that it’s time to repaint your home­’s exte­ri­or is fad­ing and chalk­ing. Fad­ing occurs when the paint col­or los­es its vibran­cy due to expo­sure to sun­light, and chalk­ing hap­pens when the paint breaks down and leaves a pow­dery residue on the sur­face. If you notice either of these signs, it’s time to con­sid­er repaint­ing your home­’s exterior.

Cracked Stuc­co

Stuc­co is a durable mate­r­i­al, but it can crack and break down over time, espe­cial­ly if it has not been prop­er­ly main­tained. Cracked stuc­co can also be a sign of water dam­age or oth­er struc­tur­al issues, so it’s impor­tant to have it inspect­ed by a pro­fes­sion­al before repainting.

Our rule of thumb is that if the crack is wide enough to slip a cred­it card inside, you need to call a paint­ing com­pa­ny. Hair­line cracks aren’t always an issue, but def­i­nite­ly impor­tant to watch.

Wood Refin­ish­ing

If your home has wood­en ele­ments, such as trim or sid­ing, it’s impor­tant to keep them well-main­tained to pre­vent rot, dam­age, and even pest intru­sion (yikes). If the wood is show­ing signs of wear, like crack­ing, split­ting, or a gray­ish dis­col­oration, it’s time to call a pro for repair and refin­ish­ing. This involves remov­ing the old fin­ish, sand­ing the sur­face, and apply­ing a new coat of paint or stain.

Peel­ing and Bub­bling Paint

Peel­ing and bub­bling paint are clear signs that your home­’s exte­ri­or is in need of repaint­ing. This is often caused by mois­ture get­ting under­neath the paint and caus­ing it to lift away from the sur­face. If left unchecked, peel­ing and bub­bling paint can lead to more seri­ous issues, such as rot and mold. 

Fun­gus, Mildew, and Mold

Fun­gus, mildew, and mold are not only unsight­ly, but they can also be harm­ful to your health. If you notice any of these growths on your home­’s exte­ri­or, it’s impor­tant to address the issue as soon as possible.

Quick tip!

We actu­al­ly rec­om­mend pow­er wash­ing your home on an annu­al basis. This gives a pro­fes­sion­al the chance to look over every inch of your exte­ri­or, while also clean­ing away con­t­a­m­i­nants that can com­pro­mise the lifes­pan and integri­ty of your paint. Plus, it keeps your home look­ing fantastic!

Have more ques­tions about exte­ri­or paint­ing in San Diego?

Con­tact us at Chism Broth­ers Paint­ing today! We’re here to help and to make house paint­ing easy.