Exterior Painting: The Key To Protecting Your Home From Winter Weather

Blizzards, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, record-breaking temperatures – extreme weather is becoming more common across the country. The winter months can cause a long list of headaches for homeowners, but many of those headaches can be prevented!

Before the temperatures start dropping too much, make sure your home’s exterior is ready for harsher weather. Seal the cracks, and patch the holes. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

But where do you start? What steps should you take to get your home winter-ready? First, you should walk around your home and do a full evaluation. Look for areas of vulnerability that could be hazardous or lead to significant damage and a lot more money to repair later. If you’re not sure what to look for, hire exterior painting professionals who understand how winter weather can damage your home if it’s not protected.

Based on your evaluation, create a list of projects to be completed before the colder months set in. Some of the most common problems we see are water that is not effectively drawn away from the surface and peeling paint or stain that is not only aesthetically displeasing but also could allow water to get in and cause serious damage.

“Homeowners understand the value of home insurance. This is home assurance. By handling those nagging home repairs – the peeling paint, the cracks, the holes – your home will be prepared for whatever Mother Nature dishes out,” says Jonathan Hino, Director of National Production for CertaPro Painters®, Ltd. “Our teams have a multi-step process that includes removing dirt and mildew before we ensure any gaps are caulked to prevent water intrusion. This is part of every CertaPro Painters® job!”

To help you prepare your home for winter weather, here are the top three projects the professionals at CertaPro Painters® recommend.

1. Exterior Painting

Exterior painting is essential, particularly if there are any vulnerabilities that could allow water to seep in and cause damage. You may need to paint the exterior of your home and seal your home from moisture by caulking windows, doors, joints, and seams. The sealing process also provides the added benefit of keeping more heat inside your home!

In addition to painting and sealing the exterior of your home, you should also seal and/or stain any natural wood, like shutters or a deck. Again, the goal is to keep moisture out but also to extend the life of the wood.

It’s not as easy as a new coat of paint, either. Weather protection requires a thorough washing of your home’s exterior to remove dirt and mildew, and detailed surface prep — scraping and sanding old paint and sealing cracks to prevent water intrusions. Then, everything should be primed and painted to provide a beautiful, uniform finish.

Exterior painting is a big job, but it is well worth the investment when the winter months come and you can rest easy knowing your house is prepared to withstand the harsh elements.

2. Power Washing

Professional power washing is an important prerequisite to painting the exterior of your home or sealing and staining your deck or other wood surfaces. It’s also critical to ensure all vulnerabilities are visible and addressed.

For example, a dirty wood deck, concrete floor, asphalt walkway, or brick siding could hide flaws. Once the dirt and grime are washed away, imperfections will stand out. Add any potential problems to your list of winter weather preparation projects, and fix them before the weather gets any colder.

Our expert exterior painters always power wash the exterior of a home or other outdoor surfaces prior to painting or staining them. The reason is simple. Without a thorough washing to remove old paint, dirt, mold, mildew, oil, and other substances, the quality of the paint job will be compromised. Not only will the paint look uneven and unattractive, but it will also deteriorate faster. Appropriate surface preparation is critical to effectively winterizing your home.

3. Stucco Repair

A damaged home exterior can lead to moisture intrusion that could cause significant damage. If you see brown streaks near your windows, bulging on your stucco walls, white chalking, or stucco cracks that are larger than 1/8”, then you need to prioritize your stucco repair projects right now.

Stucco repairs can be tricky, so it’s a good idea to work with professionals who know how to properly do the job. The exterior painters at CertaPro Painters® can repair any cracks in your stucco surfaces, and replace stucco if it’s damaged.

After repairs are made or stucco is replaced, your CertaPro Painters® team applies an elastomeric and waterproof primer to seal the surfaces as well as a coat of waterproof paint. Both the primary and paint contract and expand making your sealing and paint job last for years.

The Winter 2019 Farmer’s Almanac Predicts a Harsh Season

Experts in winter weather forecasting and the authors of the Winter 2019 Farmer’s Almanac have predicted that the coming winter will be a harsh one. Don’t put it off another year. It’s more important than ever that you take the steps to ensure your home is protected all winter long, and beyond.

Contact CertaPro Painters® and request a free estimate for your exterior painting projects. We’ll do a complete home evaluation for you, help you create a comprehensive yet affordable winter-readiness plan, and have your home ready for the winter before the cold months arrive.