Paint Works: The 3 rules for having your Exterior Paint last a long time

Repair & prepare the surface well
Only paint when the weather is good
Use top-quality primers and paints.

If any of these rules go ignored, you'll likely be painting again in a few years. Do it right the first time, and save yourself time and money in the long run.

Before "Paint Works" Outside ... We Repair and Prepare

The Basic Steps

A new coat of paint can only last a long time if the surface you apply it to is solid and dry. Here's what you need to do to repair and prepare an outside surface for painting.

1. Vent

o The major cause of peeling paint is moisture in the walls

o Cooking, showers, and heating create moisture in the house that has to find its way outside

o Without good venting, the moisture will literally push the paint off the wall

o Install proper attic, soffit, or siding venting to let the moisture out

2. Remove

Remove all loose paint, rust, weathered wood
Using sanders, scrapers, a wire brush, a heat gun, or paint stripper
Look for tiny cracks (micro-cracking) in the old paint - if we see any, we’ll remove all the paint even if it isn't peeling
For best results, strip down to bare wood or metal
Remove failed caulking from all joints (around windows, doors, light fixtures, etc.)

3. Sanding

Sand all glossy areas until they are dull
Sand all trim / smooth surfaces, to provide excellent adhesion and smooth finish
Sand areas where rotting fibers, or peeling is present, or scraping was necessary

4. Caulk, Patch & Repair

Patch all nail holes, cracks, and open seams
Caulk all joints (using high-quality paintable caulking) - paint will peel if rain and snow get through cracked or missing caulking
Let the patching and caulking dry before painting it
Repair any surface where water pools

5. Wash, Rinse & Dry --------------- DO NOT POWER WASH

Wash off all debris, grease, dirt, and chalk ("paint dust")
We suggest use of TSP (normal household detergents leave a residue)
Kill mildew by washing with 1 part bleach in 3 parts water (look for dark spots under eaves and on shaded areas)
Rinse well with clean water
Let the surface dry thoroughly before you prime
Live within 5 miles of the ocean? Paint within 24 of rinsing to prevent a thin layer of salt from building on your walls.

Wait for Good Weather

Paint and primer needs time to dry and cure. If the weather isn't good before and after you paint, your paint will fail early. We listen to the weather forecast and wait until the weather's right before painting. Unfortunately we have seen too many contractors working until after the rain starts and then resuming at the last drop.

The best time to paint --

a calm day when the weather will be dry and over 50F (10C). If it is sunny, paint the north and west sides in the morning, and the south and east side in the afternoon.

We don't paint when it's:

TOO WET (rain, fog, or heavy dew within hours of when you paint can lead to streaking and premature peeling / failure)
TOO COLD (if the temperature drops to below 50F / 10C at any time within hours of when we paint, the paint won't cure properly, leading to premature peeling / failure)
TOO SUNNY (the heat of direct sunlight causes paint to flash dry, leading to blistering and peeling)
TOO WINDY (if you paint when it's windy you risk having leaves, dirt, and insects stuck all over your new paint job)

Create a Solid Foundation - Prime

Benefits

Priming prevents "flashing" (areas of uneven gloss), and helps your walls look great
The right primer seals the surface and helps prevent peeling, rusting, and bleed-through
Priming can add years to the life of the paint
Priming can save you one or more coats of paint
The right primer helps your paint stick better

When to Prime

You have removed the old paint
You have patched the surface
You are painting with a Low Luster, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss paint
The surface is porous or chalky ("paint-dust")
You are painting with a dark color
When you are painting over bare wood or metal
When you aren't sure - play it safe and prime

Paint Works