It’s been a while since you last had your home’s exterior painted. It looked good for a long time, but it may be showing signs of its age now. Your exterior paint not only serves as a good first impression, but it also provides a layer of protection against nature’s fury and its insects. If it’s been at least seven years since a painting contractor came to your house, it’s now time to see if your paint job is asking for a renewal from Chrave Davis Painting in Ramsey MN.

An Outdated Color Scheme

Your last exterior painting job may have been seen as trendy or avant-garde when you last had professionals in, but trends change. Your home may now look less exciting to passers by, and an outdated color scheme can lead to a dramatic loss in curb appeal. In the same way, your own tastes may have changed over time, and you want your house to reflect your new preference.

Whatever the reason, a love of new colors is enough to call in an outside house painting expert. If you aren’t already sure what you want, then take a look at the other homes in your neighborhood and see what fits in.

Your Paint’s Fading

After protecting your home for years, the shield that your paint provides will fade as the colors on your walls fade. This fading is caused by enduring many seasons of torrential rain, blinding sunlight, intense temperature swings from summer to winter and the bitter cold of Ramsey MN, winters.

If you see that the colors have faded, then it’s time to have them renewed. Our team may use special types of paint that aren’t commercially sold to homeowners, but they’ll provide vivid colors and better protection than what you can do yourself.

You Have Chalky Paint Residue

Chalky paint residue is a sign that your last exterior painting job was done a pretty long time ago. This residue is caused by continuous exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As the years go by, that UV radiation will degrade the binders inside the paint, which loosens the pigment particles until they can come off by just putting your hands or a towel over the paint. Moisture can also cause the binders to degrade.

In the long term, this degradation can even damage the surface of your home. If you have chalky residue, you need to bring in a professional exterior painter.

Peels, Bubbles and Cracks

Sometimes, air bubbles and paint peelings are a sign that water has gotten into the paint layers, which causes them to unbind from their surface. More often with exterior paint, however, peeled or cracked paint is a sign that you may have mold or surface rot. If left unchecked, these can let more mold or mildew in and accelerate the presence of rot, which can lead to serious structural damage down the road. Professional painting contractors can remediate these issues before they start painting your exterior surfaces.

Visible Signs of Moisture Stains or Mildew

It’s no secret that this area gets a lot of precipitation. As the years go by, all of that water can lead to mildew appearing on your old paint. Sometimes, it’s a small spot that can be cleared away by an outside house painting expert using a pressure washer. Don’t try to pressure wash it yourself since you may not know the right nozzle for the job. If, however, there are large stubborn spots found across your exterior, you’ll need a professional to perform remedial action before they repaint your home.

Besides precipitation, other causes of mildew or moisture stains include:

• Dew forming on cooler exterior surfaces
• Previous painting done without primer
• Use of cheap, low-quality paint
• Painting over an un-remediated surface with mildew growth

If you know of any of these, contact the experts at Chrave Davis Painting right away before serious damage is done to your walls and your home.

You Have Damaged Wood or Stucco on Your Exterior

Even a new paint job can only provide so much protection from rain and winds. This is especially true if flying debris, such as tree branches or rocks, hits your home. Stucco, wood and drywall can all crack, and older wood can start to rot. Not only can this damage make your home’s color scheme look bad, but it can lead to further damage to your home in the future.

Before you get a new paint job, your painting professional will need to assess the damage and figure out what needs to be fixed. Cracks can be filled and materials can be replaced, and it will cost you less than you might think. When all that’s done, the new paint will be applied, and it will keep your home protected for several more years.

Choosing the Right Painting Contractor

A good painting job, on average, will last between five to seven years before it starts to show any of these signs. If the time has come, it’ll be far quicker and cheaper to have your home repainted by experts than rebuilt by other contractors. Chrave Davis Painting can help you find the right colors for your home. We can show you just how we’ll paint your house, and we can also schedule our work around your calendar. Contact us today for an appointment anywhere in Ramsey MN.