Like with your car or your personal health, proactive maintenance on your home can do a lot to prevent greater hassle and costs down the road. Here are 4 easy indications that its time for some preventative maintenance.
Peeling
You may see small amounts of chipping and peeling of paint on your trim or siding. Usually about the size of a dime, this peeling paint will expose the wood underneath. Paint protects your wood the same way that skin protects your body. It must be intact and secure around the entire home. This is a sign your top coat of paint isn’t protecting the wood from rain, wind, and sun.
Recommendation: Its definitely time for a wash and repaint. Repainting your home not only leaves it looking a lot more aesthetically pleasing, but helps protect it from further damage by the elements.
Chalking
When you run your fingers along your painted surfaces, do you see a chalk like substance stick to your fingertips? This is called chalking. If touching your house leaves a lot of chalky paint residue on your hands this is a sign the paint is oxidizing or is breaking down.
Recommendation: It is definitely time to powerwash. It may be time to repaint; new paint will never leave a lot of film on your hand. Let us provide a painting or powerwash quote to properly remove chalking. This economical investment will protect your home before the paint or wood damage becomes more costly.
Mildewing
Mildew will look like little grey spores and/or dark spots on the paint. Mildew is a sign that your slick, glossy paint surface needs refreshed; it allows spores to grow in the nooks and crannies of the paint skin.
Recommendation: Often, honest and established painters will let you know if a simple and cost efficient power washing (or pressure washing) is enough mildew maintenance for that particular year. Mildew can easily be removed with a professional pressure wash, although sometimes it will require a new coat of paint to keep your home protected. A high quality paint will have a mildew-cide as part of the formula, which will prevent future growth on the surface of your paint.
Caulking
Look around your doors, windows, and other fixtures. Are there gaps between these fixtures and the wall? Does it look like the sealant is starting to come lose or no longer there at all? Caulking failure can cause current and future issues including loss of energy efficiency as well as rain, wind, moisture, and critters entering your home.
Recommendation: With caulking, it is much better to have a tightly caulked exterior to prevent future and expensive damages. With our free quotes you can put your mind at ease about how secure your home’s exterior is with expertly caulked gaps and joints.
Final Advice
The hints outlined above are a good guideline to use when determining what type of painting work your home may need heading into our beloved winter season. If you have noticed any these signs around your house, or you would like a professional opinion, give us a call!
Nordic Colors, preserving your greatest investment! (707) 837-2718