Your Atlanta home may be new or old, but it is not a historical landmark! Most people concentrate on repainting the interior while ignoring the exterior. Often, the exterior is desperately crying out for freshness. Besides the aesthetics, there are countless reasons to repaint the exterior.
Why You Need to Repaint Your Home’s Exterior
To protect your home
Yes, repainting your home’s exterior is one huge, disruptive venture, but it’s worth every penny. Remember the cliché ‘cheap is expensive?’ Taking too long to repaint your home is a risky affair. It is like tempting fate since the elements in Atlanta live with you. The winter in Atlanta can get too harsh and generate drainage problems, negatively affecting your home’s exterior.
For aesthetic purposes
Some houses are an eyesore, and yours shouldn’t be one of them. You have probably seen paint chipping off your walls. Cracks and bubbles caused by the moisture penetrating the paint film are unwanted residents in your Atlanta home, giving it an unsightly ‘mien’. The sun can cause leaching of the pigments from the paint so that your home fades in certain areas. Additionally, plants that grow on the side of your home can give it a not-so-good look. To avoid the image of a tired, sad, or sorry-looking home, have it repainted after a professional has assessed the issues underneath.
When gaps are filled and cracked caulk repaired
Sometimes you may spot gaps around doors and window frames due to moisture leaching into the wood. Or it could be that the caulk used to seal the spaces between the wall and windows or doors has cracked and fallen away. The remedy is to repair the cracks and paint over them to give your Atlanta home a fantastic look.
How Often You Should Repaint Your Home’s Exterior
When it is time
You do not have to wait for blocked drainages, cracks, bubbles, cracked caulk, and the like to repaint your home’s exterior. You may be among the lucky few whose homes don’t show the apparent symptoms requiring repainting.
How often to repaint your Atlanta home depends on so many factors. One is that the previous paintwork was shoddily done, with the effects beginning to show too soon. Secondly, the paint used might have been of low quality and could not withstand the test of time. Finally, the color of the paint and the number of coats applied also determine longevity.
When to repaint
While every home is unique, it is generally agreed that you should repaint your Atlanta home every 5-10 years. Specifically, if you used stucco material, repaint your home every 5-6 years, aluminum siding every five years, and wood surfaces every 3-7 years (4 years if stained). Unpainted brick doesn’t need repainting and can do with an occasional cleaning. However, you can repaint painted brick after 15-20 years. Using new materials such as cement fiberboard siding could repaint after 10-15 years.
The final word
Please understand that paint is your home exterior’s first line of defense against the elements. The Atlanta home’s advantage is its location in the southeast, compared to homes in the northeast, where the climate is harsher. If your home initially underwent good, quality paintwork with the requisite number of coats, and is well-maintained, then you can comfortably wait to repaint every ten years.
Consider repainting using quality paint, not generic or off-brand paints. You will require professional help if your Atlanta home was built in the 50s and contains asbestos shingles. Experts suggest that the best season to repaint your home is during spring since the temperatures are ideal for the paint to adhere. For more information on how and when to repaint your home’s exterior, contact us.