Your home is your protection against the elements. Rain, snow, frost, and sun can make your paint fade, your gutters jam, and your roof leak. When it is compromised, you suffer from problems with your structure and your budget. Simple home repairs can help you ensure that your home is well-maintained. You can begin by taking care of your paint job.

Annual Maintenance for Your Paint Job

To preserve your outdoor paint job, embark on a plan of annual maintenance. Every year, inspect your home’s paint job. Using water, soap, and scrub brush, remove dirt, moss, algae, and other stains. Do this on a calm, dry day so that the walls dry off easily. Look for the problem areas below to reduce stains and ensure that your paint job remains intact.

Moisture Maintenance

Hidden moisture from inside the home or moisture that gets under your paint job can cause it to bulge, crack, and peel. When you notice peeling and bulging paint, it’s time to look inside and out for the cause.

Sometimes, the problem is the paint itself. Some oil-based paints do not respond well to moisture, while latex painted over oil paint can also bulge and crack, leading to moisture problems. At other times, the problem may lie in what’s on top of your paint job. A leaking roof, pooling water, or an overflowing gutter can lead to moss, algae, and mold growth, depending on how large and consistent the problem is. Take a look at the areas around windows as well, since old or poorly-installed windows are moisture magnets.

The cause may also lie indoors. Leaky kitchen plumbing or a spill that was never fixed may make its way into the walls, where it causes damage to the walls and eventually to the home exterior. Fixing these problems will help you reduce the maintenance you need to do on your paint job, and it will keep your paint looking fresh.

Surviving the Snow

A snowy winter can spell a damp, dripping spring for your roof, walls, and paint job. During the winter, snow and ice can expand and damage your gutters, causing spring leaks. Melting snow can seep into gaps in your roof or into the gaps around flashing. All of this moisture can cause paint to acquire a layer of grime or algae or can cause structural issues that lead to long term damage to your paint job. To ensure that you don’t get water damage from snow, keep your roof as clear as possible during the snowy season and protect yourself with roof insulation and products such as gutter heat, which melts gutter ice and snow.

Feeling the Heat

Wall paint can also change in the sun. Over time, the sun beats down on your walls, leading to chalky paint, fading, bubbling, and hairline cracks that grow as the years move on. Since you can’t turn off the sun, look for paints with sun protection built in. They should mention UV protection, sunproofing, or weatherproofing. Proper preparation using a primer and a sealer will also help your paint job stay fresh over the years.

Your paint job is a protective coating for your home. Keep this protection solid by choosing products that protect. Contact Harry Helmet today to learn how the choice to install gutters can protect your home’s integrity and your exterior paint job.

Written by Del Thebaud