Surfactant leaching
Paint contains many inert materials that help it spread smoothly such as surfactants. As the paint cures in cooler weather, the surfactants can ‘leach’ to the surface due to condensation. On darker colors these surfactants can look like a white or creamy film on the finish. On lighter colors the film can look brownish. In either case, washing down the surface usually corrects the problem and it rarely reoccurs.
One of the biggest causes for peeling paint is moisture. Once the material the paint is ‘stuck’ to gets wet, the paint loses its adhesion quality and begins to pull away from the surface. This allows more moisture to get in, which causes more reduction in adhesion, etc. Caulking expands and contracts with heat and cold to ensure the surface is completely sealed from moisture. It is our opinion that all holes, cracks, seams and nail heads have new caulking applied to them, not just the failing areas. In this way, you are guaranteed the best possible protection from the damaging effects of water.
The Importance of Being Sealed
‘Before’ and ‘After’
No matter how high a quality of paint you use, good paint cannot stick to a badly prepared surface. Poor surface preparation (paint flakes not scraped thoroughly, old caulking not removed, cracks in the exterior, unprimed raw wood, etc.) doesn’t give the new paint anything solid to stick to. In reality, preparation is about 80% of all exterior paint jobs and about 50% of interiors.
Although it is possible to just paint your trim, it has been our experience that to do so often makes the body of the house look ‘dirty’. In most cases, the trim (which is real wood) is showing the failure of the paint occurring over the whole house (most of which is not wood.) In addition, painting just the trim does not save a lot in labor as the trim requires the majority of the preparatory work to do a quality paint job.
As a general rule, the glossier the paint, the more durable it is. However, shinier paint does reduce the purity of the color radiating off the walls. Also, sheen can affect the paint’s ability to ‘hide’ the color underneath. Flatter paints have courser pigments and cover better than glossier sheens.
Many factors can cause lack of coverage in one coat. The most important is beginning color and final color (the more drastic the change the more likely two coats will be required) and how heavily or lightly the paint is applied. In addition, lesser-quality paints create a thinner film, thus letting the old color show through. Also, the quality of application products can cause poor coverage.
Depending upon the quality of the paint and the thoroughness of the preparation, your paint should last as long as fifteen to twenty years, maybe longer. However it is imperative that you use high quality paints and sealants to ensure the life of surface coatings. Titanium Dioxide is the ingredient in paint that affects durability – the more there is the longer the paint will last. Less expensive or lower grade paints use less titanium dioxide and more fillers, which means they will wear out or fade sooner. On the same hand, lower-quality caulking is less elastic and cracks out sooner, thus allowing moisture in behind the paint and loosening it from the surface.
Paint quality can affect the finished product in many ways. Probably the most important factor is the longevity of the paintjob. Consider purchasing a car – obviously you expect a more expensive car to have more bells and whistles; but don’t you also expect it to last longer and age better? The difference is the parts used to make the car.
The same can be said for paint – higher quality paints use better, more expensive ingredients so they last longer. Other factors affected by paint quality include ability to cover, spreadability, and how much coverage you’ll get. As these go down, the cost of labor go up; so many times saving a few dollars in paint can cost you much more in extra labor.