When to Do Exterior Painting in the Northwest

Take a drive along any residential road in the United States, and you can very quickly get an idea of how well maintained a property is by the state of the paintwork. Our homes are exposed to many different types of dust, dirt and pollution, which can quickly make your home look at best dull, and at worst neglected.

The good news is that a new coat of paint can make a property look like a million dollars. If you are considering putting your house on the market, getting the exterior painted could be one of the best investments possible.

Homebuyers make the decision to buy or not within seconds of seeing your property, so if they pull up outside your house and it is freshly painted, you will have a much better chance of obtaining a sale at market price or better.

In many ways, exterior painting is one of our favorite things to do because of the reaction it evokes from the owner at the end of the day.

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Exterior painting is not as easy as it looks. Many who have attempted it know that there are all sorts of details that are easy to overlook and make it take way longer than they expected. Special tools, techniques, and experience make the job a lot easier and look a lot better. That’s where hiring professional house painters comes in.

But when is the best time to paint your house? And what should you look for in a house painter? We have assembled some of our tips, tricks, and recommendations here for when to paint the exterior of your home. Get in touch with us if you have any questions or would like to schedule a free estimate for your job!

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5 Ways You Know It’s Time To Repaint Your Home

Painting is often important to people when they move into a new home, but when should exterior painting be done in a home where people have been living in the same house for years? This is a question all homeowners should consider. There are a lot of thoughts when it comes to this subject, but here are our top 5 reasons to get a new paint job.

1 – Paint is Showing Wear and Tear

Because of the outdoor elements, depending on where you live, paint can get beat up over the years. When you start to notice the exterior paint job cracking and bubbling over, it is time to apply some new paint. Before you paint, also check if the exterior is molding or going through a dry rot. If this is the case, you will need to have some repairs done before you paint. 

2 – Fading

A faded paint job is never a good look for a house. You want your paint to pop, so add the same brilliant color you had before from the original paint job. Remember that light-colored paints always last longer than darker options.

3 – The Years Are Going By

The rule of thumb is the exterior of a home needs to be painted fresh every 10 years. Of course, the paint quality that was used the previous time will definitely tell the story of how soon you will need to paint. When it comes to wood, add new paint between 3-7 years, aluminum siding every 5, and stucco between 5 and 6 years. If you are looking for a second pair of eyes, painting companies will usually give you a free quote and thoughts on when you should paint again.

4 – Sell, Sell, Sell

Curb appeal goes a long way, and if you are looking to sell, it is definitely time to paint before you put it on the market. Buyers, who are in the market for a house, usually make a quick decision based on what they see from the outside of the home. Of course, the first thing that people see is the exterior, so get it painted correctly. They will notice if it is brilliant, and they will notice if the paint job needs work.

5 – Rigid Caulking

Exterior caulking is intended to be soft and flexible. Over time, and due to the elements, caulking becomes hard and brittle. If your caulk has gone brittle, it may be time for a fresh coat of paint on your home!

Are you looking for professional exterior painters? Contact us today for a free estimate.

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Why Summer is a Great Time to Pressure Wash and Paint Your Home

Winter and spring can be especially rough on the exterior surfaces of your home. Summer is the perfect time to get it looking its best. With the warm weather finally settling in, homeowners should think about using the sunshine to their advantage when it comes to pressure washing and painting – there are several!

Ideal Weather

The summer months are the perfect time to have any kind of work done on the exterior of your home. The days are longer and warmer earlier. There is also ample dry time in the summer to get outdoor projects done, which means that larger painting jobs can be done in single day or a few days without having to worry about an errant shower.

On the other hand, paint should not be applied when it’s too hot – which may occur at times during the summer months.

Beauty That Will Last 

The longer the property stays dry after pressure washing and exterior painting, the longer it will remain clean and beautiful.  This means you will get more from your investment. On the other hand, if you get your house pressure washed in the spring and it rains heavily the next day, it may look like you never got the job done at all. You can rely on your paint job to stay fresher longer without your neighbor’s birch trees ruining it. 

Get Ahead of the Mold 

The end of spring’s heavy rainfall brings about the production of mold and mildew around the home. The heat from the summer provides the perfect conditions for the leftover moisture to grow into a mold and spread over your deck and porch. With high-quality pressure washing, unsightly and potentially dangerous spores on the exterior of your home can be removed immediately. These allergens tend to grow into slippery patches and can become a major headache if not taken care of. Save yourself the stress and get it pressure washed off before it starts to grow. 

Property Upgrade and Preservation

Investing in a new paint job and pressure washing during the summer not only keeps the exterior of your home looking fresh and removes harmful allergens and pollen, but also adds to the value of your property. Minerals in the air are deposited onto the surfaces of the exterior of the home, working to erode paint and wood over time. With a quality pressure washing or paint job, you can have the peace of mind of knowing that your home is protected from this kind of erosion.  

Raise that curb appeal and protect your investment. It is your home, treat it well! 

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Is Fall Too Late to Paint My House Exterior?

Many people believe that the best time to do house painting is in the fall. It seems like the perfect time because the weather is cool, making it more comfortable to work while there are still enough hours of daylight to paint into the evening. Unfortunately, there are some major weather factors in the Pacific Northwest that make painting in the late fall troublesome. The main reason is that low temperatures have adverse effects on how exterior paints dry and set. 

If you check the label of a paint can, you will see at what temperature you should apply it. Most recommend that you do not apply paint at a temperature below 50 or 55 degrees. Although many fall days can reach into the 70s, paint has to go through a chemical reaction during the drying phase that would be interrupted during the cool nights.

The Chemical Reactions of Drying Paint

Two reactions occur during the drying process. The oil or latex in the paint, known as the vehicle, evaporates as the paint dries. This can be slowed by a change in temperature – but that is not the real problem. The reason you should not paint when the weather is too cold is because of it’s adverse effects on a crucial chemical reaction. There are numerous chemicals in paint and some are used as catalysts that speed up the formation of polymers from paint resin. When the molecules are rearranged, the polymers end as chains of single molecules. If the temperature is too low it becomes very difficult for this process to take place. 

There are also some other reasons not to paint outside in the fall. For example, some windows need putty, or a glazing compound, which takes a very long time to dry. Putty needs warmer temperatures to dry and cure properly otherwise it will crack and will have to be replaced. If you paint over putty before it has cured properly, the moisture will have to pass through the paint and both will fail. The same can be said about latex caulk and primers. Caulk and primers both need warmer temperatures to dry and cure. 

Can A Professional Painter Still Do Exteriors in the Fall?

A professional painter may take on an exterior paint job late in the fall. Their experience will help them judge if conditions are adequate for the paint to set properly. You can always give us a call at Mt. Hood Pro Painting to discuss your house painting project and timeline.

If you were planning on getting your home looking great and you are now finding that it may be too late in the season, there are still plenty of good fall projects that can be done. For example, take advantage of the nice weather to spray paint that metal lawn furniture or iron gate that you have been meaning to refresh. If you start in the morning, the spray paint should have plenty of time to dry.

Lastly, remember that fall is the best time to paint indoors. On a fall day, you can open the windows for drying and ventilation. The cool temperatures will be much more pleasant than a hot and muggy summer day.