Does my house need painting?

The indicators will be mildew starting to appear on the painted surfaces.  If you have the house pressure washed and cleaned and the mildew comes back in six months, you are probably ready to be repainted.

Once the coating has weathered for a number of years the mildew resistance is diminished.  A new coating of quality paint with a good mildew ide will help it to last longer before mildew appears again.  Mildew will eventually grow on any surface but the reoccurrence can be lengthened by using the high-quality paint with a mildewcide additive.

Another indicator is when you begin to see a number of areas of rotten wood.  This would indicate that there is caulk that is cracked or split and the water intrusion is beginning.

Also, when the first floor window sills begin to peel.  The reason the first floor window sills will peel first is that they are not shielded by the overhangs as well as the second floor windows from weathering from rain and the sun.

Of course, color fade and paint that is chalking are obvious indicators.  Usually color fade is first noticeable on the front shutters.

How often should I paint my house?

How long should my paint job last?

Most homeowners have a tendency to let the house go too long before repainting.  This usually causes more expense in preparation and in more carpentry required for rotten wood than normal.

Generally with lower quality paint you would expect about five years out of your painting.  With high-quality paint you should expect eight years or more.  It is not uncommon for a quality paint job to last up to ten years or longer.  Depending on how the home is positioned in relation to the sun.

The indicators that you should repaint are when you begin to observe heavier mildew buildup, a number of rotten wood areas, when the first floor window sills begin to peel, color fading, chalking paint and numerous areas of split caulk.

How do you paint a house to last longer?

The key to longevity in painting a house has a number of factors.  The house should be pressure washed to remove any mildew and residual dirt so the mildew doesn’t grown under the new coating as this usually results in peeling paint.  The prep work, of course, is important.  That means that peeling paint areas are scraped or sanded to remove the loose and peeling paint.  This means the edges of the peeling paint need to be scraped back tight toward the existing solid paint so that no loose edges remain.  Caulking is critical to prevent intrusion of water that causes rotting and swelling.  Another factor is the quality of the paint.  Use the highest quality paint always.  The failure of most premature painting jobs is the neglect to use the highest quality materials across the board.  This means not only the highest quality paint but also the highest quality caulk, the highest quality putty, glazing and the highest quality primers.

There are also specific paints to be used for sundry items around the house.  These would be metal roofs that require a special metal paint that last twice as long as house paint. (Due to direct exposure horizontally to the sun and rain.)  Also, iron rails require a high quality rust primer and a finish coat of high gloss oil base metal paint.  Chimney caps which are faded require  

If anyone of these items is lower quality it causes the weak link in the chain and affects the overall longevity of the painting.

What painting company has a reputation for the longest lasting house painting?

Kenneth Axt Painting Contractors have a reputation for the longest lasting house painting jobs.  They have a 10 Year Warranty and Maintenance Plan that allows their clients homes great longevity.

What is the longest lasting house paint?

We recommend Sherwin-Williams Duration Satin for great longevity.  The satin finish last longer than flat finishes.  Using gloss paint will cause eye catching discrepancies in the quality of the wood surfaces.  Duration Satin is used on trim and siding.

Most leading paint manufacturers have a top-of-the-line paint that is safe to use.  The reason we recommend Sherwin-Williams is that we have observed their products for over 40 years and can attest to the longevity as we go back and repaint our clients homes.  Sherwin-Williams is the largest paint company in the world and has state-of-the-art research and development laboratories.  It brings great peace of mind to know they produce high-quality paint.