Home Exterior Maintenance to Prepare For Summer

It's important to keep your home up to date on repairs and painting to help preserve the quality and value of your home. Summer time can be damaging to our homes with the bright sun and intense heat. It's also the best time to get exterior home maintenance like painting, staining and repairs done.

Clean your home’s exterior

From stains to moss to bacteria, dingy roofs, siding, and decks not only look unattractive but can also contribute to an array of other household problems and even shorten the lifespan of your home. Pressure washing may be necessary if there are serious stains, stubborn mold, and mildew, etc. Using a lower pressure setting could provide a good rinse while also saving water; a skilled professional will know how to choose the best level for your needs.

Painting

Peeling paint and chipped siding can let in bugs and the weather. Algae and mildew can also show up if you live in a humid climate. Do a lap around your house and check for any problem areas. By painting, cleaning, and repairing issues now, you can avoid the vacation-killing expense of having to replace your home’s siding.

Paint Issues that can happen in the Summer heat

Bleaching

The sun’s ultraviolet rays break down chemical compounds in paint. Photodegradation is fading caused by the sun. In fact, it’s not always that noticeable until you compare a sun-exposed portion of painted surface to a newly-painted or non-exposed portion. Dark colors are particularly vulnerable though whites can yellow.

Bubbling or Blistering

During a hot summer, you might notice the paint on your door bubbling or blistering like it’s going to pop (and it usually does). The paint becomes so hot that it boils like water, sort of. The problem is that when it does pop, the wood beneath becomes exposed to the elements and it’s something that should be repaired immediately. Inspect the wood carefully to make sure none of it needs to be replaced.

(Note: We have a south-facing door that needs to be repainted every few years because the sun exposure is so severe. The door has to be completely sanded, inspected for cracks, primed and painted with the highest quality materials each time, because the paint just blisters in the sun.)

Chalking

The sun dehydrates paint over time and causes chemicals to rise to the surface. What happens is you’ll see a fine layer of white powder on top of a painted surface that looks like, you guessed it, chalk. To be honest, all paints will chalk over time to some degree, but this can be delayed by priming and using a high-quality paint.

Restoring your Deck and Patio

Decks and patios can take a beating with heavy snowfall in the winter and the thawing and refreezing of spring. Summer is the perfect time to re-stain the deck and check for loose floorboards or mold.

This is a pre-summer home maintenance must. Check your deck to see if there are any rotting planks and have them replaced. Hammer any loose nails and check to see if your deck material needs to be resealed by pouring a little water on it. If the water beads into little puddles, you’re good. If it sinks into the wood, you should get your deck resealed. We recommend that you avoid the use of semi-solid and/or solid water-based stains.

If you're interested in re-doing your deck, Composite materials are a wonderful way to go and require less maintenance than wood. Please see our previous post about Composite Decking vs PVC vs Wood. Please contact us if you'd like to schedule a FREE ESTIMATE about re-doing your deck with composite materials or fresh wood with new paint or stain.