Is it time to give your home a new look? Giving your home a new paint job is a great way to perform a beautiful makeover and drastically improve the overall appearance of the house. However, not every paint job is a good one. Making sure you’ve found dedicated professionals with an extensive background of experience is key to making sure you’re not having to redo exterior painting over and over again.

By making sure you and your painter adhere to important painting practices, you’ll be able to guarantee your paint job will last up to a decade. Here are a few ways you can help extend the lifespan of your exterior paint colors.

Cleaning and Preparations

Your new paint will never stay for long if the surface it’s painted on isn’t strong. By making sure to remove all the dirt, mold, and old paint flakes from the surface of the exterior, you’ll be giving the new paint a sturdy grip and the strongest possibility of adhering and staying for longer periods of time. Often overlooked, proper cleaning is key. Skipping this important first step can have devastating effects on the overall success of the paint job and how long it will last.

Use a Primer

Often, homeowners assume that the paint itself is all you need for a good paint job, but this isn’t at all the case. Prolonging the life of your paint will depend greatly on your use of a primer. This will work like a base coat and give your home a smoother look with less imperfections that could eventually lead to bubbling, chipping, or full on flaking of your paint.

Put the Paint on the Right Way

Homeowners often underestimate the importance of the physical application of the paint when it comes to the lifespan of a paint job. However, paint must be applied correctly for it to successfully stay on for years to come. It’s also a good idea to put three coats of paint on a home. While it may seem excessive, the beating this paint job will have to take through various weather situations and temperature changes is no small thing. Help to protect the paint’s longevity with multiple coats.

Avoid the Sun

Painting in extreme heat or direct sunlight can affect the paints drying speed and, thus, leave you with brush stroke marks and unevenness. By avoiding higher temperatures, you’ll be ensuring that your home looks its best at all times. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have painters who aren’t suffering from heat stroke.

A paint job on any home can realistically be expected to last anywhere from seven to ten years if applied correctly and maintained with care and consideration. However, much of these times are dependent on weather conditions and local temperatures. With that being said, applying these tips to your next paint job will definitely help ensure that your home looks it’s best for as long as possible.