The first thing they teach you in Painting 101 at OCS is that Paint is a Preservative. Of course we love that great “haze gray, under way” look, but the main idea is to keep the ship’s hull preserved and to keep the topsides looking shipshape.
The same is true for your home. You want to keep your wood preserved and looking great year after year. You want to avoid the high cost of repairing rotten wood. To do this you need to keep a fresh coat of paint on all of your exterior wood surfaces. Your exterior trim faces extreme heat in the summer, driving rain, extreme cold in the winter, along with sleet and snow. You need to protect your exterior wood.
Our second lesson, after learning that paint is a preservative, is to learn how to prepare the surface for painting. You don’t want to put a fresh coat of paint on a dirty surface, peeling paint, or cracks and gaps in your wood. You may need to use a light grade of sandpaper or take a steel brush to your surfaces if needed. You definitely want to clean all surfaces with soap and water. A clean dry surface is what you need for your paint to adhere properly and to give you years of protection.
All of this information will be listed on the label of your paint can. You need to follow the instructions to the letter, particularly if you later decide to make a claim against the manufacture’s warranty.
Not saying you have to hire a professional painter to do this work for you, this can be a great weekend Do-It-Yourself project. But if you get in over your head don’t hesitate to give me a call at 757-652-5911. Take a look at our Winter Special if you’re interested in getting an affordable paint job today!