Has Winter Weather Damaged Your Paint Job?
Winter weather can do a number on your paint job. Though snow and ice can certainly damage paint during winter, even cold and heavy rains can diminish the look of your home exterior paint before the snow starts falling.
When you know what damage to look for, you can keep an eye on it, and make plans with your painting company to reverse and prevent it.
What to Know About Paint Jobs Damaged by Winter
How Does Winter Weather Damage Paint?
When paint is working properly, it’s a moisture barrier. It prevents water from rain, ice, heavy dew, frost, or snow melt from getting into your home interior rooms from the exterior walls.
Damage can occur when a lot of stress is put on the paint job. That could happen through repeated heavy storms.
Temperature changes also play a role. Anywhere that prolonged exposure to the elements has chipped or cracked your paint job is a trouble spot.
Moisture expands and contracts as temperatures cycle, so any paint damage that goes neglected or unseen during the winter months could mean greater water damage in your home during the seasonal change to spring, since those cracks in the paint expand as the temperatures warm.
And if temperatures swing from colder to warmer throughout a season, the only way to break the cycle of moisture intrusion is by thorough painting maintenance on your home exterior.
Check More Than Just Your Outside Walls
When we think about where moisture damage could cost us the most time and money to repair, we focus on our home exterior walls. But there are other places to check for winter weather paint damage.
Your fences are where snow and ice sit until it melts, often without being scraped or removed. This prolonged exposure to cold, moisture, and warming cycles could mean your fence is in danger of cracking, splitting, or rotting, especially if it’s been a while since it was painted or stained.
The same goes for your deck. Decks need to be restained every few years to protect from moisture damage and wood rot. If your home has been through some especially wet weather in the years since your last stain, it’s prudent to check it and protect it before the weather gets worse.
Don’t Miss Hidden Damage
While there may be some more substantial damages you can see, it’s more likely that tiny cracks and chips in your paint job will become the culprits for moisture damage.
Painting professionals know where to look for that damage, how to repair it, and which paints and primers are most resistant to winter weather.
A local painter knows the area and the climate best. They can help you plan for temperature swings and give you advice about how to best protect the exterior paint and woodwork (including fences and decks) from snow, ice, and water damage, so you can enjoy your home year-round without plans being halted by unexpected maintenance and repairs.
Anderson Painting is the local painter trusted by Raleigh homeowners. Our teams know how temperamental southern winters can impact paint jobs. And we can help you identify trouble spots well before your interior walls and ceilings are compromised by moisture.
Don’t wait until water spots show up this spring. Get your home paint job protected before winter weather hits. Call Anderson Painting for your home exterior painting estimate today.
