Painting your beachside home exterior is a hassle most homeowners put off for as long as possible. Depending on what material your home exterior is made of, this can be done for as many as five to ten years! However, a poor paint job on one of these necessary times will cause you to have to revisit this experience sooner than you may have needed to. This is especially true for Berkeley homes where ocean water can deteriorate home exteriors quicker than other areas. Fortunately, there are a few things you and your prospective paint company can do to make sure your paint job lats longer. In this article, our painters will share with you their insider secrets to keeping your home looking as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

How Often Should You Paint Your Home?

Before we dive into our tips for making your paint job last longer, let’s go over how often you can expect to need a paint job based on your type of home exterior. Unfortunately, this answer can vary quite a lot since every home is a bit different. While there are general guidelines to follow, there are determining factors that only you will be able to address. Generally speaking, without geographical and maintenance knowledge, an exterior house painting can last from 5-10 years. Some substrates can drastically reduce this length of time. Here’s a very basic idea of what those look like:

• Wood Siding: Every 3-7 years, or every 4 years if it’s stained
• Aluminum Siding: Every 5 years
• Stucco: Every 5-6 years
• Brick: If it’s not painted, it only needs occasional cleaning; if it’s painted, it can last 15-20 years

If you don’t know when your last paint job was done, it is always better to be early on this service than late. Additionally, painting your home’s exterior paint will not only keep your home looking great, but it can also protect from the elements and other invasive conditions.

Keep Up With Maintenance

Now that we have that covered, let’s dive into our first tip: maintain the paint you have. Homes that are cared for year after year will have better outcomes on the lifespan of their paint coating. Taking time to care for your house with repairs, touch ups and power washing helps to set the paint up to last. These interventions at various stages of the paint’s lifecycle will help it to maintain adhesion longer and avoid the obvious signs of paint failure.

Maintenance also includes fixing any home exterior issues you notice. We recommend doing a yearly inspection of your house’s exterior. Pay particular attention to mold, holes, cracks or other imperfections. These are all items you will need to address. It could potentially prevent you from having to get a paint job quicker than usual. Either take on the repairs yourself or get a pro to help you with them.

Ask About Coatings

Because Berkeley is an area with a lot of sun and moisture, you may need extra coatings or high-durability paint. High durability coatings help your exterior withstand the elements. A coating of primer to start off with can be useful. It can hide an old color choice or cover and camouflage repairs that have been made. When you get your paint job completed, make sure you know what type and how many coatings were done. This way, the next time you need paint, you’re well informed.

Other Ways to Protect Your Home

If you have not gotten around to having your exterior painted, there are a few ways you can still prevent additional damage to your home. Here are a few of our tips to keep your home safe:

• Caulking: Sealing cracks is imperative for Berkeley homes. While we don’t have to worry about chilly breezes, closing up holes will keep out moisture. Each crack, no matter the size, has the potential to decrease the efficiency of your home. By correcting cracks, you’ll keep the water where it belongs.
• Landscaping: Any bushes and branches against your home can allow for wood rot to set it. Take an afternoon and trim up shrubbery and bushes to keep a safe distance from your house’s structure. This will help reduce pests from sneaking in as well.
• Cleaning: The summer season has no doubt added some mold and mildew to your deck and outdoor areas. It’s a good idea to power wash the exterior of your home. A power washing will help remove the contaminants and leave it pristine heading into fall.

Home Exterior Painting with CertaPro Painters®

CertaPro Painters® of Berkeley, CA are here to help your beachside home exterior paint job last. We offer a wide variety of residential exterior painting services to help with any type of paint job.There is no doubt that CertaPro Painters® are the best of the best. All you have to do is call one of our painting professionals at 510-981-0321. You can also fill out our free, no-obligation form for a free estimate. We look forward to working with you!