Time to Evaluate Your Outdoor Painting

Outdoor Painting

Painting is one of the best actions you can take to preserve the value and appearance of your home. It’s important to evaluate the quality of your outdoor painting on a regular basis. When you see signs of wear, it’s time to consider repainting. You can either do this yourself or contact a reliable painting business in your area. Let’s look at some of the ways to determine if your home is in need of a paint job.

How to Determine When it’s Time For Outdoor Painting

There are certain signs that will inform you that the exterior of your home needs painting. These include:

• Peeling Paint -Peeling often occurs at different rates depending on which side of the house gets the most exposure to the elements. Sun, rain and even wind take their toll on paint over time. When you see evidence of peeling, this is a sure sign that it’s time for a paint job. Peeling and flaking are not only unsightly, they cause the wood to rot and mildew to form as water gets below the surface of the paint.
• Wood Rot -If you observe places around your home where the wood is rotting, you should consider outdoor painting as soon as possible. This often occurs in places such as window sills and door sills before anywhere else. Wood rot is a problem that will only get worse if left untreated.
• Chalking -You can tell if you have this problem by the way the paint looks. If non-white exteriors have a whitish look, this is a sign of chalking. You can also tell by touching the paint and finding a chalky or dusty residue on your fingers.
• You Plan to Sell Your Home -Painting your home is a great way to add value. This is something that can make any home more attractive to buyers.

Tips For Outdoor Painting

If you decide that it’s time to do some painting, there are certain guidelines to keep in mind. Whether you want to paint yourself or hire a local painting business is up to you. A professionally painted home usually looks more impressive than one painted by homeowners. There’s also the question of the time and effort it takes to paint. A few issues to keep in mind when painting include:

• Use Water-based Latex or Oil-Based Alkyd? These are the two basic kinds of exterior paint. Water-based paints dry more quickly and are easier to clean up. Alkyd paints are more durable and resistant to stains. Either way, it’s important to choose a high quality paint that is long lasting.
• Prepping the Surface -Before painting, the surface should be as clean and smooth as possible. Power washing can be helpful if there’s a great deal of dirt. Scraping away peeling paint will make it easier to apply the fresh coat of paint.
• Brushes and Rollers -Professional painters use a variety of brushes and rollers. It’s best to have a good selection so that you can reach all of the edges, smaller spaces and surfaces.

How to Choose a Professional Painter

If you decide to hire a local painting business, it’s important to choose one who is experienced and reliable. In the Pittsburgh, PA area, one of the most dependable companies is MasterBrush Painting, an owner operated painting business with a crew with over 150 years of combined experience.