Your exterior paint is starting to look a little faded. This comes naturally when you live in areas that see plenty of sun. The UV rays bare down on your house and make your once bright paint color turn dull.
This is most likely for the best. The last time you painted your house was over five years ago. It’s time for a change.
The need to mix things up and fading aren’t the only reasons to get a new paint job. Damages, discoloration, cracked caulking, and house staging are all good reasons to slap on a new coat of paint. Check out this guide to learn more.
1. Various Types of Damage
As the years go by, your home is bombarded by the rain, snow, sun, and high winds. To say that these elements can do some serious damage to your paint job is a massive understatement.
Cracks and chips are all signs that either the weather has taken its toll or the paint job was poorly done in the first place. If the paint is bubbling and peeling, that points to another issue altogether.
This is a sign that you’re dealing with rot, mold, or mildew. You’ll need to have someone come take a look before you hire exterior painting services.
2. The Paint Is Starting to Fade
Harsh UV rays will do more than give you wicked sunburn. They’ll also strip away the bright color your paint once had. This is especially true if you don’t choose the right finish.
Grab paint with added UV protection or use a UV sealant with your next exterior painting job. Your color will still fade with time, but it will take a little longer for it to happen.
You can also go with a lighter shade. Darker colors fade a lot faster.
You might not be able to turn your house away from the sun, but you can provide shade in other ways. Consider planting a few trees in your yard.
3. You’re Trying to Sell Your House
When you’re selling your home, first impressions will make or break you. Someone will decide if they are interested in your house as soon as they pull up in your yard.
The slightest imperfection can turn them away. Slapping on a fresh coat of paint is the perfect way to hide any minor issues the siding has. If the house has been painted recently, savvy home buyers will be able to tell.
This makes it more likely that you’ll sell the place because it checks one thing off of their moving to-do list. They may even be willing to pay you a little more for it.
4. Cracked Caulking
If there are any small holes in your home siding, contractors don’t just paint over them. They fill these imperfections with caulk. This allows for a much smoother application.
As the home ages (or if the caulk job wasn’t done well), it will begin to wear down. If it cracks or breaks off, it will leave your home vulnerable to insects and mold. The only way to fix the issue is to recaulk the house and paint back over it.
5. Gaps and Shrinking
If moisture manages to work its way into your home siding, it could begin to rot the wood. Over time, you’ll notice gaps between the boards. As you can imagine, this damage won’t do your paint job any favors.
Like with bubbling and peeling paint, you’ll need to have someone come to see how bad the damage is before you repaint your entire home.
6. Your House Is New
When contractors build a new home, time is of the essence. They use pre-primed wood to construct the place and slap one or two coats of paint over it. You can best believe that it’s the cheap stuff too.
It might last for about 5 years, but that’s about it. You’ll need to get a new paint job before that time frame is up, or your house will suffer for it.
7. Stains and Mold
Mold isn’t picky. It doesn’t care if you live in a warm climate. If moisture is allowed to gather on your siding at all, it will grow and eat away at your paint.
There are various ways for you to get rid of it. Once you do, it will leave distasteful stains in its wake. The only way to cover up this discoloration is to paint over it.
8. You Want to Mix Things Up
Your home doesn’t have to be damaged for you to want to put a new coat of paint on it. If you’re bored with your current color, you’re bored with your current color.
Painting is the best way to freshen up your house without having the whole place renovated. There’s also the fact that color trends change with time.
Something that was cool a few years ago is tired today. Trading up to a trendier color is a great way to boost your curb appeal and make all your neighbors jealous.
Is It Time for You to Get a New Paint Job?
As you can see, there are a million reasons to get a new paint job. Damages are the basic reason. If you’re trying to sell your house, it will be hard to do so if your home hasn’t seen a brush in a while.
It’s also not unheard of paint your home to mix things up. It’s cheaper than doing a complete home makeover. If you do want to redo your home instead of stopping at painting, check out our blog to get a few ideas.
