Spring: The Peak Painting Season

For most residential painters, spring is their busiest time of the year. It's when homeowners finally spend some time outside and can see their house needs attention, or maybe it's just because spring is for many the time to engage in clean-up and fix-up.

Here are a few tips for conducting your own walk-around inspection. Things to look for:

• Cracked or peeling paint.
• Signs of rotted or swelling wood.
• Cracks in caulking (or missing caulking) around windows & doors.
• Mildew (grayish discoloration--looks like dirt).
• Severely faded, or thin-looking, paint.

Paint is not just there for aesthetic reasons. It's most important function is serving to protect the wood and siding from the elements. The sun's U.V. rays are perhaps paint's biggest enemy, so you'll likely see the worst degradation of paint in areas that get the most exposure to the sun.

If you have painting done, be sure it includes:

• Pressure washing, including the use of bleach (removes dirt and mildew).
• Priming of any exposed bare wood.
• Use of a good-quality caulk. I don't recommend latex caulks and do recommend the use of a quality elastomeric caulk (it stays flexible and stretches), such as Sherwin Williams' "Sher-Max" caulk.
• The use of a top-quality paint. My choice: Sherwin Williams' exterior "Duration" paint. Benjamin Moore top-quality exterior paints also perform well. I do NOT recommend buying paint from the big box stores (Home Depot, Lowes).
• A warranty. Be sure to get it in writing and know what it includes. Most reputable painters will include a warranty (generally at least 2-3 years).