Other
Services

There are several signs that your home needs to be repainted. This includes fading color, peeling paint, chalking, and aging out.

Over time, the paint on your home will fade due to sun and water exposure. In most cases, darker colors fade faster than lighter ones, but fading paint can cause your home to lose curb appeal. It typically takes several years for exterior paint to fade, but it depends on the material.

If your paint is peeling, it is a sure sign it is time to repaint your home. In truth, paint is not supposed to peel, but it will break down sooner if you have used a lower-quality product. Factors that contribute to peeling include harsh winter weather and exposure to direct sunlight. Peeling paint never looks good, but it can also cause damage to the substrate if it remains unprotected.

Have you noticed small bubbles and/or cracks on the surface of your paint? This is not rot or mold, but rather imperfections caused by extreme weather such as direct sunlight, harsh winters, and storms. Cracks and bubbles are a gateway to peeling and can be more unsightly than fading.

Chalking is not always easy to notice. To determine if your exterior paint is chalking, run your hand along its surface, noting its texture. If the paint leaves residue on your hand or feels hard, this is a sign it is chalking. This is caused by years of exposure to the elements and harsh weather.

Like many products, different brands of paint have varying life expectancies. The four main ingredients in paint are pigment, liquids, binders, and additives. Higher quality paints use better ingredients and have a longer life expectancy — up to 15 years. Poorer quality paint products typically last for less than five years. During a normal paint lifecycle, the aged out paint will show other signs of needing a repaint, including chalking and bubbling.

This refers to when paint fades, and the color changes entirely or in patches. For example, beige often morphs into pink when it is exposed to direct sunlight. This condition often affects exterior paint and can appear on all surfaces, including siding, wood, garage doors, entry doors, and more. Quality paints manufactured with100 acrylic resins are designed to resist these effects caused by exposure to direct sunlight.

It is normal for your home to expand and contract with the weather. The caulk on your home is design to expand and contract along with your home, but it will lose its elasticity over time. Split, cracked, or missing caulk is a sign it is time to repaint your home.

The bottom line about quality paint is this: better ingredients means better performance. A high-quality coating will be easier to apply, look better, and last longer.

The four key ingredients that affect paint quality are pigment, binders, liquids (solvents), and additives.

Two different types of pigments go into a can of paint. The first type is the “prime” pigments, which provide color and hide. The second is the low-cost “extender” pigments, which add bulk to the product but have little value.

Today’s paints use a variety of binders. For example, latex paints contain either 100 percent acrylic, vinyl acrylic, or styrene-acrylic binders. Oil paints typically contain soy oil, linseed oil, or modified oils called alkyds.

The amount, quality, and type of binder affect everything from crack resistance and adhesion to stain resistance and gloss. The higher the quality of the binder, the longer-lasting and higher performance a paint will have.

Liquids are basically what makes paint into paint — when combined with pigments and binders, the liquids create the paint coating you find in your paint can. In oil-based alkyd paints, the liquid is typically paint thinner or another type of solvent. In latex paints, the liquid is primarily water.

Additives in paint are used to provide additional performance. The most common additives are:

• Thickening agents: These provide additional thickness or viscosity to paint so it can be properly applied to a surface. This helps to reduce the splatter effect that happens when rolling out the paint.
• Surfactants or soaps: These provide paint with additional stability and resistance to separation. It helps keep the pigments dispersed throughout the liquid, which ensures better color accuracy.
• Biocides: two types of biocides are used in latex paints — a preservative to keep bacteria from growing, and a mildewcide to discourage mildew growth.
• Defoamers: It is common for bubbles to form during the paint manufacturing process, during paint application, and when the paint is shaken. A defoamer provides a way for those bubbles to break.
• Co-solvents: These provide additional liquids and can help a binder create a good film when applied in cooler temperatures. It also assists in brushing properties so the paint has time to be applied before it dries.

Three factors contribute to determining the right paint color: lighting, architecture, and the facility or room decor. The ideal paint color considers these three elements and offers balance and unity to a space. If you are caught between a few colors, consider having a “color preview” completed to see how the colors will look.

The typical shelf life of an unopened, properly stored can of latex or oil-based paint is two years. It is best to store your paint in a dry, cool area, away from extreme temperatures. Never store your paint near your furnace or heat-generating appliances. In addition, you should never allow your paint to freeze.

Leftover paint, paint thinner, or other chemicals should never be poured down the drain or disposed of carelessly. If the paint is still in usable condition, consider donating it to a church, school, or other organization. To determine if the paint is still usable, stir it with a paint stick — if it is still smooth, it is still good.

Empty cans or those with a small amount of water-base paint in them should be allowed to dry in a ventilated area, out of reach from your children and pets. In most states, these can then be thrown out with your household trash. For oil-based or alkyd paints, dry them out by adding absorbent materials such as kitty litter.

If not disposed of correctly, leftover paint can be dangerous, so it is recommended you become familiar with your local paint disposal regulations.

The Light Reflective Value (LRV) in paint is a measurement that tells you how much light a color reflects, and conversely how much it absorbs. LRV runs on a scale from 0% to 100%. Zero assumed to be an absolute black and 100% being an assumed perfectly reflective white.

LRV refers to the percentage of light reflected by the paint color regardless of how much light is present. The LRV number is a measurement, a piece of data and is one of the few things about a color that is a consistent factor. No matter from what direction the natural light enters a room, no matter what reflection of color you get from the other elements in the room, no matter what other conditions exist that will affect the context in which the wall color is experienced, the LRV is the LRV.

In order to paint vinyl you would need to make sure you use a paint manufacturer that uses a vinyl safe tint system. IN addition you can not paint vinyl in a darker color then the original vinyl material, It would need to be repainted either in the same color or a lighter color to avoid the vinyl from buckling.

Gutters and downspouts can be painted with no issue. Just make sure the surfaces being painted have been cleaned and be sure to use a 100% Acrylic coating.

Wolmanized wood also known as pressure treated lumber. Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is the most popular wood treatment product available today; however, there are many different chemicals used to treat lumber. The preservative is used to provide structural protection from termites and fungal decay. Based on the wood being treated there is a dry time involved on the lumber itself before paint or stain can be applied. Many wolmanized lumbers have a “green” cast to them – that is the chemicals that have been injected and the wood is considered “wet”.

General rule of thumb is six months resting time, after building, is recommended. However, most paint manufacturers require at least a year prior to painting any type of treated lumber. Painting wolmanized too soon will cause the coating to fail.

Depending on the style of weather strip listed below is the factors involved to determine replacement –

Old Metal Style:

• Rusted off at the bottom
• Bent up

Wood Style:

• If it is rotted

Plastic Style:

• Rubber seal badly torn

The EPA’s Lead Based Paint Renovation, Repair & Painting Program Rule (RRP) is aimed at protecting against lead-based paint hazards associated with all renovation, repair and painting activities. The rule requires workers be trained to use lead safe work practices and requires renovation firms to be EPA Certified. These requirements become effective April 22, 2010. The objective of the RRP Rule is to reduce exposure from lead-based paint dust during renovation, repair, or painting activities. This is a strategic effort in reducing the occurrence of childhood lead poisoning, particularly lead poisoning caused by housing contaminated by renovation activities. You can obtain all specifics regarding RRP at EPA.org

Most exterior paint manufactured today can be used if the surface temperature is 35 degrees or warmer. The paint should dry before it freezes. If there is a question the back of the paint can should provide the information you require OR you can obtain a copy of the product data page for the product that you intend to use.