The interior or exterior (or both!) of your house has just been painted, but after you paint there is still a little effort needed to maintain the beauty of your project. Whether you hired professional painters or did the work yourself, you invested both time and money and now it is time to think about extending the life of your new paint job.
Maintaining the Interior After You Paint
An interior paint job should last between 5 – 7 years, but you should be on guard for general maintenance from time to time. Especially paying attention to areas where food and drink are consumed, children and pets play and places where furniture may touch the walls.
Cleaning Stains and Spots
It is wise to address stains and spots as soon as they occur, but that is not always possible. Try to check around the house as you do routine cleaning. First, take a damp soft cloth or sponge with a mild detergent to the spot. Do not use abrasive cleaners or scrub too hard. If the spot still remains, try a solution of baking soda and water and work in a circular motion. Rinse with a clean, damp cloth – not wet – and then dry the area. For more difficult stains you can try a stronger cleaner, but test it out in an inconspicuous area first.
Mold
Mold and mildew sometimes appear in areas of your home that may be especially humid and warm. These areas will most likely be your bathrooms, kitchen or basement. Hopefully, you consider this before you paint. Ask your paint professional about paints and primers that are specially designed to inhibit the growth of these two problems. If you have areas where you have found this to be a problem, you may want to use a product to take some moisture out of the air, such a DampRid or a comparable brand.
To clean it yourself, test a solution of four parts water to one part bleach in a small obscured area first to make sure you don’t damage the paint. If the problem persists or is too large to treat yourself you may have to call a professional.
Fading Paint
Although an interior paint job will last 5 – 7 years you may see some fading of the colors you originally chose. This occurs naturally due to excessive sunlight, frequent cleanings and changes in temperature. There is really no way to truly avoid these everyday hazards. Because color preferences change fairly often you may want to consider repainting. If that is just not in the budget, you can carefully vacuum and wash the walls to eliminate any build-up of dust and grime. It may help more than you think. If it is time to repaint, make sure to invest in high quality paint that combats fading. It is worth the investment. Other measures you can take include closing drapes and curtains during the day and investing in UV protection window tints.
Maintaining the Exterior After You Paint
Most experts recommend painting the exterior of your home every 4 – 8 years This will depend on the exterior surface, weather conditions and the previous paint job. Other things that should be taken into consideration are the prep work done on the previous paint job and the quality of the paint that was used. Also, darker colors tend to fade faster. So, what can you do to keep your home looking good in between paint jobs?
Preventing Rot
Anytime your home is painted it should be inspected by you along with the professional painters you intend to hire. Look at all the areas with exposed wood and have them replaced, if needed. If they are still in good condition, make sure your contractor uses a high quality exterior paint so it will protect and last. Once the paint job is complete, walk around your house. Make sure all surfaces, including underneath, are painted to prevent the wood from absorbing water and encouraging rot.
Pressure Washing
Regular pressure washing can keep your home looking fresh and clean. More importantly, it can kill mold and mildew that encourage rot and disintegration. How often will depend of the conditions around your home. Is your house shaded on any sides? Do you get a lot of wet weather in your area? Fortunately, it is easy to visually determine when it is time to pressure wash. This can be an easy DIY project, but also consider that pressure washing is usually included in the price you are alos painting and hire a professional
Signs That its Time to Repaint
*Colors begin to look faded over time *Its been between 8-10 years *The paint and wood have a chalky feel to the touch *Paint is peeling or flaking *You notice rotting or disintegration
Don’t let your maintenance and repairs get ahead of you. This can be costly and time consuming if there are a lot of repairs and patching. A few preventative measures will keep your home looking its best.
ColaTown Painting will help you get the look and quality you will be proud of! Give Britt a call at 803-603-6486 or e-mail us at ellisb@colatownpainting.com to schedule a free estimate!
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