Choosing The Right Paint
Selecting the perfect exterior paint is key for lasting durability, curb appeal, and easy maintenance. Different types of paint offer distinct benefits depending on your home's surfaces and our Minnesota weather.
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Acrylic Paint: A top choice for exteriors, acrylic is flexible and durable, handling temperature changes without cracking. It's built to last and resist weather damage.
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Latex Paint: This water-based option dries fast, cleans easily, and offers great coverage. With low VOC options, it's also an eco-friendly choice suitable for most surfaces like siding, stucco, and brick.
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Oil-Based Paint: Known for strong adhesion and toughness, oil-based paint is ideal for wood and metal, resisting chips and wear. It's a solid choice for areas needing extra durability.
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Specialty Paints: For enhanced protection, consider options like UV-resistant, mildew-resistant, or elastomeric coatings. These can provide superior waterproofing and defense against harsh elements.
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Modern Innovations: Today's paints include self-cleaning formulas, heat-reflective options to lower cooling costs, and energy-efficient paints that improve insulation, offering smart long-term benefits for your home.
Surface Prepartion For Lasting Painting
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Surface preparation is the bedrock of any successful exterior painting project. It ensures a flawless finish and extends your paint's life, protecting your Rochester-area home from the elements for years.
We start by thoroughly cleaning all surfaces, often using power washing to remove dirt, grime, mildew, and loose paint. For stubborn areas, we'll use stiff brushes and cleaning solutions, including bleach-based cleaners for mold or mildew.
Next, we repair any surface damage, filling cracks and holes with exterior-grade caulk and replacing rotted wood or damaged siding as needed. This prevents moisture intrusion and ensures a smooth base.
Finally, we apply the right primer for your specific exterior material. Primer creates a stable base, seals porous surfaces, blocks stains, and ensures even coverage, giving your topcoat the best adhesion and look. We use only recommended tools and materials, from high-quality brushes to paint sprayers for a uniform finish, always keeping our workspace clean and safe. We also carefully inspect environmental factors, ensuring ideal weather conditions for paint adhesion and drying, guaranteeing a durable, professional result.
Common Exterior Problems and How to Solve Them
Fading and Discoloration
Fading and discoloration, often accelerated by intense UV rays or lower-quality paints, cause pigments to break down, diminishing your home's curb appeal. To combat this, we recommend selecting high-quality, UV-resistant paints and considering lighter colors, which inherently show less fading over time; regular cleaning also helps prevent dirt buildup that can hasten this process.
Peeling and Cracking
Peeling or cracking typically stems from inadequate surface preparation, incompatible paint types, or excessive moisture exposure. The solution involves ensuring all surfaces are clean, dry, and properly primed before painting, utilizing a durable, weather-resistant paint, and crucially, addressing any underlying moisture problems like leaky gutters before beginning your project.
Mold, Mildew, and Algae
Unsightly mildew, mold, or algae frequently appears as dark, splotchy areas on paint surfaces, thriving in humid, shaded locations and degrading your finish over time. The solution involves regular professional power washing with appropriate cleaning solutions to effectively remove existing growth, and choosing mildew-resistant paints for future applications to significantly deter its return and keep your home looking cleaner.
Frequently Asked Questions
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