UV Rays and Your Paint: The Hidden Culprit Behind Fading

CAUSES OF FADE ON PAINT

Simple science: the sun's uv rays causes a chemical breakdown which causes the pigment (provides color) to break down which causes oxidation.  The more oxidation the less the paint can absorb uv rays.  The results are visible in the loss of color and vibrancy.

Street smarts: the more sun exposure to your house, the faster the damage. To make things worse, the darker the color, the more it absorbs uv rays causing the fade to be noticeable in a shorter amount of time. Don't choose a paint color just because it's trendy. Think about the fade.

HOW TO DELAY FADING

Simple science: it's all about the pigment, binders, and additives in a gallon of paint. The more good stuff in the paint, the better the paint will hold up.  There are solids in paint that provide the color (pigment) and other solids that help the paint stick to the wall (binders). 

Street smarts: You always hear the term high quality paint.  What makes one paint more high quality than the other?  Is it the price?  Is it the marketing materials? No.  It's the amount of solids in a gallon of paint that typically makes one paint better than the other.   

House Movement and Your Paint: The Hidden Culprit Behind Flaking Paint

CAUSES OF PAINT FLAKING

Simple science: lifting of paint from the underlying surface causes flakes to appear. This could be caused by expansion and contraction of wood caused by temperature and humidity changes.  This movement will get transmitted to the coating.

Street smarts: flaking may occur because the prep work wasn't don't properly.  Inexperienced painters sometimes think that just pressuring washing a surface is good enough.  Paints claiming to have primer in them are not good enough. A stand alone primer should be applied prior to applying the top coat.

HOW TO DELAY FLAKING

Simple science: since you cannot control the movement of the house, it is best to to prep any suspected areas of paint failure properly by scraping or sanding.  Applying the proper coat of paint will allow the paint to expand with the wood underneath it and prevent fissures which will lead to flaking.

Street smarts: it is best to scrape and lightly sand any and all pre-existing flaking paint by hand.  Do not use a pressure washer to remove flaking pain as it could cause more harm than good.  Apply primer and proper amount of paint to allow for movement without breaking.

Moisture and Your Paint: The Hidden Culprit Behind Peeling Paint

CAUSES OF PAINT PEELING

Simple science: peeling paint is the loss of adhesion of the paint film almost always down the bare surface. When a wet substrate swells under the paint, causing the paint film to loosen, crack, and fall off, you get peeling.

Street smarts: the root cause of peeling is typically moisture.  This could come from failed caulking joints, clogged gutters, painting over a damp surface--maybe rain, pressure washing, condensation, or dew. In poorly designed homes even surfaces too close to the ground will cause moisture to be wicked up by the substrate.

HOW TO AVOID PEELING PAINT

Simple science: test the surface being painted with a moisture meter to ensure the moisture content is safe enough to paint. All materials have some form of moisture, the key is for it to be at a safe level. Keep in mind that 50% of paint is water.

Street smarts: never paint a house the same day you pressure washed it. Ensure gutters are not wet and dripping when applying the paint. If the wood surface is deteriorated, replace with new and apply primer if necessary. On colder mornings start later in the morning to avoid condensation and morning dew.