Determine Now if You Need Exterior Painting this Year

As Spring approaches in Indiana, home and business owners need to begin planning their spring cleaning and property maintenance projects. Now is the time to determine the status of your exterior paint job to know if a house painter is needed to re-paint or to do some preventive maintenance to assure long term durability. At Matthews Painting we are already scheduled for exterior painting jobs several months out, so if you are going to need a residential or commercial painting company this Spring, you will need to get on the schedule soon.

Exterior painting is one of the biggest maintenance jobs for a home or commercial business owner – and one of the most important. Exterior painting is critical to the long term maintenance of any building. The deterioration that occurs when a paint job has degraded can happen quickly and be substantial.

Your exterior paint provides important protection to your building’s structure. It protects from moisture and UV damage. Once this protection is compromised, the damage that occurs – in addition to contributing to the structure’s degradation – also requires greater time and expense for the prep work. Power washing will not be sufficient once underlying damage sets in. Every day you put off repainting means more time doing prep work. Consequently, it is far preferable to re-paint too early than too late. Regular inspections of your exterior are essential to cost effective maintenance and upkeep.

There are three basic reasons to repaint your home or business. The first two, because you want to change the color or because you plan to sell, are up to you and do not require a special inspection. Since paint is one of the best ways to improve your home’s curb appeal, it is well worth considering if you plan to sell. For a business, a new paint job is a great way to improve your company’s public image.

The third reason to do exterior painting is for maintenance. Depending on the quality of your previous paint job, this can happen in as little as 5 years and as much as Professional Log home staining, sealing, and restoration services Kosciusko County and Huntington, Noble, Wabash, and Whitley Counties.. A rule of thumb is that, 5-7 years after your previous paint job, you should begin an annual inspection and keep a close eye on some particular areas where you might notice your paint starting to deteriorate.

Obviously if your exterior is peeling or faded, it’s time to call us. But if there are not overt signs of damage and decay, you will need someone with more expertise to inspect. When examining your property, we look for more subtle indicators of paint failure, caulk failure, and wood deterioration or rot. Specifically we look for fading, peeling or cracking of the paint. If the paint surface is chalky, this indicates that the paint is breaking down. Pushing on the surface will show if the wood is solid or has deteriorated.

Caulking is very important for protection against moisture. Has the wood shrunk and the caulk cracked? There are numerous things that can go wrong with caulk and if it is not holding up, bigger problems are inevitable. Algae, mildew and mold are sure indications of moisture problems and these have to be dealt with right away. Especially check your trim, doors and windows. If you wait too long, the work to repair rot will be more expensive and time consuming. Reputable, Better Business Bureau painters know the importance of the little things, like caulking, to prevent water damage.

When Matthews Painting comes to do a complimentary exterior inspection, we will look at more than just your paint job. We will examine your roof, shingles and decks to see if they are due for a low or high pressure cleaning. We also clean aluminum and vinyl siding, stucco, block, steel corrugated siding, decks, piers, shingles, and much more. Preventive maintenance can be one of the best investments you make in your home or commercial business, so contact Matthews Painting today to keep your property well maintained.