With spring just around the corner, many people are going to be painting the exterior of their home in Kelowna. Once your home’s exterior has been freshened up, it’s important to make sure it stays that way. Here are some things you can do to maintain your homes exterior paint job.

Mildew and Mold

Old exterior paint jobs can begin to grow mold and mildew, particularly after they have weathered for more than a couple of years. Mildew will most likely grow in shaded and damp areas. Where mildew is found call your favorite painting contractor or do as follows:

• Protect plants and grass
• Apply a 3:1 mixture of water: household bleach to the mildewed area plus a one foot margin, using a brush or garden sprayer. Wear eye and skin protection and a respirator.
• Allow the mixture to remain on for 15 minutes or so
• Rinse off or power wash the area thoroughly

Dealing with Dirt and Chalk

Airborne dirt can accumulate on paint and discolor it. Built up dirt is unfortunately a great source of food for mildew. Chalk like pigment can be released from the paint film as it gets weathered over the years, resulting in fading of colors and unsightly streaky rundown. You can remove any built up dirt and paint chalk by either giving it a good scrub, or using a pressure washer.

• Scrubbing is best done with a mild detergent and a scrub brush, followed by thorough rinsing. Don’t use harsh alkaline cleaners such as TSP, as these can reduce gloss of alkyd as well as of some latex paints
• Power washing is a quick way to put a shine on your house at a fraction of the cost of repainting. If power washing, use care to not lift paint or to damage the substrate. It is an aggressive cleaning method and should not be used more than 1-2 times per year

Cracking and Peeling

It is important to check for this condition of exterior paint and to catch failures early, This way you wills minimize subsequent greater paint failures or make re-paints, if these are desired, less expensive. Inspect the paint closely for cracking and peeling, and repair immediately.

• Check for open joints around doors, windows and trim; fill with good quality caulking compounds
• Peeling often start on caps, window sills and surfaces painted in darker colors; scrape and sand off the loose material, spot prime then touch up

If you’re looking to paint the exterior of your house in Kelowna this spring, contact us for a free quote!