4 Painting Company Tips for a Florida Homeowner

Our common goal with customers is to give them the information they need to make the right decisions in the proper maintenance of their homes. This article addresses 4 key areas you should consider when attempting to keep your paint looking fresh and integrally sound.

Re-Align Your Sprinklers

One of the biggest things we see as a painting company in Florida, that affect paint, is moisture. And one of the major causes of moisture is water coming from sprinklers. We've seen sprinklers misaligned due to mowers hitting them or being stepped on or entire sprinkler systems being improperly laid out. The result of this is wood rot, cracks and mold growth. You will end up with water into the window sills that eventually finds its way into the walls. Even with concrete block, we've seen it start to crack the seams over time. Fixing your sprinklers is usually a simple and cost efficient fix that carries a major positive effect on your home's paint and overall condition. From a painting company perspective, we see it all the time. Unfortunately, sprinklers tend to go unnoticed more often than other aspects of your home. 

Don't Wait On Maintenance

Once your paint coating has started to fail, it becomes much more difficult to bring it back to a healthy condition. This means more time invested and absolutely more money invested. Unfortunately, as a painting company, we see this kind of thing all the time. We'll get a call to someone's home and we'll see that they have let their paint get out of hand. The finish is cracking or peeling away and we have to deliver some unfortunate news. The longer you let your paint go without keeping it maintained, the more effort it will take to bring it back into good shape. In some cases, the paint has to be stripped off completely and more prep work will have to be devoted on the front end before applying more paint.

Paint is the skin of your home. It is the first line of defense against the environment. Taking care of it is of the highest importance. Not only will you enjoy the way your home looks by keeping it maintained but you will be preserving the integrity of your home as well.  

Always Use Quality Paint

Materials cost is typically only 10-12% of the entire job cost. Therefore, the difference between using a high quality paint and a mid-range or lower quality paint is nominal compared to the overall cost of hiring a painting company. The real kicker is the difference between a paint lasting between 5 to 10 years or 10 to 12 years. It is all in the quality of the paint you buy. As it usually goes, you get what you pay for. If you want your paint to protect and last for years to come, investing in a high quality paint is a very important aspect of the equation. To hammer the point home, you need to understand that the labor in using high quality paint and a cheaper paint is almost exactly the same. So, it doesn't make sense to use anything less than the best. 

Keep the Exterior of Your Home Clean

Your home sits 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in the harsh Florida environment. It is constantly being pounded by salt, dirt, mold, algae, water and minerals, among other things. The best thing you can do for your home and your paint is to clean it. 

Following the same train of thought from above, if your paint is the skin of your home, you should keep it clean, just as you would your own skin. We don't have to convince you about the benefits of taking a shower or a bath everyday. This is the same mentality you should have with your home. Of course, since you are using high quality paint to protect your home, you don't have to clean your home daily. We recommend pressure washing your home every 8-12 months. If you let the mold grow on your home's paint, it is breaking down the waterproofing membrane. This will eventually lead to failing paint. 

Summary

Being a Florida painting company for the last decade we have plenty of experience with paint in the harsh Florida environment. These tips, even though they seem simple, can help save you a lot of headache, time and money over the life of your home. If you want to talk directly to a painting company expert, click here to connect.