What Can Cause Your Exterior Paint To Fail Prematurely?

Exterior painting is a significant investment. The last thing you want to see is your investment failing after just a few short years. A quality paint job should last for close to a decade, especially if you are consistent with your regular maintenance.

What goes wrong to cause house paint to start peeling after a few short years? And more importantly, how can you protect your home from premature failure?

• Poor surface preparation: This may come as a surprise, but 80% of a paint job’s success happens before the paint is applied! Thorough preparation is crucial to increasing the life of your exterior paint. Cleaning, repairs, sanding, patching and caulking are all ways to make sure that the surface is ready to paint.

• Low quality paint: Quality paint will cost more up front, but it is absolutely worth the additional investment. Not only does it provide superior color retention, it also adheres to the surface better. This increases the longevity of the paint.

• Skipped steps: DIY jobs (and unfortunately some painting contractors) tend to rush jobs to get them done more quickly. Skipping steps or rushing through the project can seriously impact the finished product.

• Working in the wrong conditions: Although no one paints in the rain, did you know that painting in extremely hot sun can be just as damaging? A quality company with a thorough understanding of best painting practices is an essential part of the process. They will apply the paint during the best conditions.

• Using the wrong type of paint: You should always be aware of what type of paint you are painting over. For instance, if you try to layer new latex paint over old oil based paint without proper preparation… their incompatibility will become apparent quickly.

These five common mistakes can cause your investment to literally crack, peel and fall off of your house. The good news is that a quality painter is aware of premature paint failure, and will take all of the proper precautions. Their goal is to have your paint protect your house for years!

Chism Brothers Painting has been serving the San Diego area for over 30 years. We strive to blend character and craftsmanship into each job that we complete. Whether you need interior or exterior painting, cabinet refinishing or other painting services, we would love to serve you. Reach out to us for a free estimate.