We sat down with Derek from Roman Paint Pros, one of the lead Painting Industry professionals in the area, so he could help provide some insight on this age-old question.
Derek runs a third generation Murrysville, Pa Painting company that paints roughly 25 Exterior homes per year. He told us, that based on the seasonal weather changes in Western Pennsylvania,
that he often recommends repainting the Exterior of your home or business every 5-7 years or sooner. Pittsburgh is known for year-round humidity, hot summer sun, and bone-chilling cold winters. Often, this leads to rotten or warped wood, rusty metal, and moldy stucco. The first thing Derek recommended is to have a thorough pressure wash performed to remove the mold and algae to ensure the Paint adheres to the surface well.
Then he says to caulk all gaps and fill holes with putty. Next, the application a high-quality UV blocking, IR reflecting Exterior Paint to the body of the home, the trim, soffit & facia, and doors. This process can be done to all surfaces, metal or vinyl siding, brick, stucco, Dryvit, etc. Derek noted, If your Painting Contractor follows this recipe, this will give you a little more time before needing to repaint and hopefully avoid costly repairs.
For lasting results, Derek recommends having your contractor use an Exterior Acrylic Enamel or even an Oil Based product versus Latex to limit peeling. Derek tells us that the darker the color, the better chance that the color will fade over time. And that a good way to tell if your siding needs a fresh coat of paint is to rub your hands on it and see if it leaves white chalk on your hands. If it does, that’s an indication that your homes UV protection in the paint has broken down.
Further adding that most homeowners wait until it’s 5-10 years (or more) beyond what he calls “maintenance paint” and end up in the position where they need repairs and replacement done to their homes Exterior. Noting that it’s essentially less costly to have the maintenance work done every 3 years than it is to wait 5 years too long.
So how do you know when it’s time to have the Painting done, we asked. His reply was to pay attention to the Exterior of your home, keep your gutters clean, perform a light pressure wash annually, and keep up with the maintenance.
