What Does The Sun Do To Your Exterior Paint

What Does The Sun Do To Your Exterior Paint

When the exterior of your home was freshly painted, it gleamed brilliantly in the summer sun. But as the years went by, UV rays began to fade the colour; the exterior paint has seen better days. You’ve decided it’s time to refresh the stucco, panels, or vinyl siding of your home. 

There’s one thing that stands in the way of a long-lasting paint job: The sun. You might be hesitant to repaint your home if you worry it will soon fade again. 

Your exterior paint does a few things. For one, it makes your house look better; freshly painted stucco, window trim, and front doors will boost its curb appeal. Secondly, it protects the material of your home from damage—including UV rays. 

We’re going to explore how the sun affects exterior paint and what you can do to protect it:

 

Fading

After your home is painted, one of the first things you’ll notice is that as time passes, the colours start to fade. This is particularly noticeable with darker colours, like navy blues, rich purples, and forest greens.

The speed at which your paint fades depends partly on its colour. Certain colours absorb more light, causing them to fade faster; reds, yellows, and blacks fade the quickest.

If you want long-lasting colours, choose lighter ones; grey, white, and beige are a few great options.

 

Bubbling

Have you ever left something out in the sun or a hot car? You come back hours later to find that things aren’t as you left them. Sun makes things warp, melt, and crack; naturally, it does the same to paint. 

As paint peels, flakes, and cracks, it distracts from the overall aesthetic of your home. Rather than seeing your beautiful oak front door or freshly cleaned bay window, people will notice the imperfections in the exterior paint. 

 

Cracking

When we see paint with cracks and chips, we usually assume that the paint must be years old. But it might be relatively recent—the problem is that sunlight has caused surface damage. 

Cracks pose another problem for your home. When the paint breaks down, moisture can seep in through the cracks. 

By repainting your home, you can protect against moisture damage and prevent the structure of your home from rotting.

 

What You Can Do

After you schedule a house painting service, you don’t want to book another one once the summer ends. But you can’t exactly slather sunscreen on your house the way you do with your skin. Protect your paint from UV damage with these tips: 

 

Choose high-quality paint

You might wonder if the difference between “interior” and “exterior” paint is just a marketing scheme. We’re here to dispel this myth. 

Think about it: The paint inside your home is only exposed to sunlight when you open the blinds. But the outside is a different story. All day long, the sun beats down on your home’s exterior.

Exterior paint is formulated to hold up against fading, cracking, and chipping from weather elements. When you’re painting an exterior, choose a type of paint that’s designed for this purpose. 

Still, it’s tough to know which products, tools, and strategies are right for the job. Why not leave it to the professionals?

 

Work with professional painters

At Pinnacle Painting, our exterior painters in Winnipeg know the challenges that the sun poses for paint. Not only will we use the right paint for the job, but we can assist you with the designing process. To book an estimate, contact us today.