Telltale Signs It’s Time to Repaint Your Minnesota Home’s Exterior

The color of your home is one of the first things people notice as they walk or drive by your property. Along with giving your home an inviting appearance, paint protects the exterior of your home from damage caused by rain, snow, sleet and even the harsh sunlight.

Whether you want to put your home on the market or plan to live there for the foreseeable future, a great paint job can make all the difference! Our professional exterior painters have many years of experience serving homeowners in Andover and Ham Lake MN. In short, we’re familiar with the telltale signs of a home with an exterior in need of repainting. Checkout some examples to see if your home needs a new coat of paint.

Faded Paint

This is one of the most obvious signs that a home needs a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes the paint on a home’s exterior can become so faded, it’s difficult to determine its original color. Fading paint creates the impression that you don’t care about your home which is not likely to be the case.

Over time most types of exterior paint lose luster and start to look worn out. The amount of time it takes for paint to wear out depends on its brand and quality. Fading paint not only looks unattractive, it’s no longer protecting your home’s exterior from the elements. A fresh coat of paint and a new color instantly gives a home a renewed, modern appearance. Plus, you can enjoy peace of mind that your home’s walls are protected no matter the weather.

If you’re planning to put your home up for sale, a new coat of paint can make it a standout to potential buyers visiting your neighborhood. Just imagine your home in a soft, muted blue or gray or a vibrant yellow with glowing white trim. Repainting, in whatever color you prefer, can prove to be helpful especially if there are several other homes for sale in the area. You want your home to be memorable to anyone passing by!

Color from Another Decade

Each decade has its own color trends for home exteriors. A home built during one decade displays a bright, vibrant exterior while a home built the following decade features a more subdued shade of color. If your home is several decades old, its exterior is likely to feature the color that was popular at the time of its construction. Not surprisingly, there weren’t as many color options for a home’s exterior as there are today.

If you like the color of your home, giving it a fresh coat of paint in that same shade can definitely improve its appearance. Or, perhaps you’d like a different shade of the same color. As another alternative, you may wish to have your home painted in a different color that’s always been a favorite for you and your family. Fresh color can give your home renewed life!

As a note, think about walking through your neighborhood to view the colors of your neighbors’ homes. You don’t have to select the exact same color as another neighbor, but sometimes this information can help you choose a color that flows with the general tone of the neighborhood. Similar shades of home exterior color can make a neighborhood look more appealing to residents and visitors alike.

Wood or Stucco with Damage

The appearance of cracks, breakage and other damage to the wood, drywall or stucco of a wall is another sign it’s time to repaint. This type of damage is inevitable over time and affects the appearance of painting work no matter the color. But, once those areas of damage are repaired, the finishing touch is a new coat of paint to make the whole exterior of your home look brand-new. An exterior painting company with knowledgeable, trained painters can make your home look like there was never any damage to begin with.

Peeling or Cracked Paint

Take a walk around the outside of your home. Do you notice any areas with peeling or cracked paint? Maybe there spots where the paint has bubbled up and broken off. This damage is not only unsightly, it allows rain, snow, and other types of moisture access to your home’s walls. This moisture can lead to mildew and rotting.

As paint ages, this type of damage is not uncommon. But it certainly needs to be addressed before the damage starts to cause notable harm to the condition of your walls. A new coat of paint will protect your home’s walls and serve as a barrier against moisture. As you see, painting a home’s exterior serves both practical and decorative purposes.

Mildew and Evidence of Moisture

Spots of mildew and trapped moisture can bleed through exterior paint. These spots can be more noticeable on paint in a light shade of color. Sometimes these areas of moisture stains can be cleaned away fairly easily. Other times these areas are signs of more extensive damage taking place.

Even a small area of moisture can affect the overall appearance of your home’s exterior. Getting the input of a professional exterior painting company can help you determine what can be done about the area of mildew and how repainting can help improve the overall picture.

Residue with a Chalky Appearance

Have you noticed a light film on the exterior of your home? Take an old towel outside and wipe it across one of your exterior walls. If you see chalky film on the towel, then you know the paint is breaking down.

As paint deteriorates through years of rain, snow and harsh sunlight, a chalky film appears. The binders in paint start to break down causing the color to lose its luster and a chalky film to appear. Not only does this take away from the appearance of your home, it means the paint isn’t doing the job of protecting your home. It’s no longer a strong barrier between the weather elements and your home’s exterior.

Getting your home repainted by an experienced residential painting contractor refreshes the color and gives your home a strong barrier against the elements.

Repainting Can Save You Money in the Long Run

If you’ve seen any of these telltale signs on your home’s exterior, it’s a good time to arrange for repainting work. Painting can provide the protection your home needs before damage gets a foothold on your home’s exterior. Furthermore, painting can save you the expense of costly repairs to your home’s exterior in the future.

An Experienced Team of Painters at the Ready

Our team of professional exterior painters at Schwartz and Sons has the know-how to make the exterior of your Ham Lake or Andover MN home look its absolute best. We have successfully addressed all of the above issues with a home’s exterior. Whether you have some color ideas in mind or you’re undecided, we’re glad to discuss those options with you. Lastly, we’re happy to work with you to determine the most convenient time to start our work. We’ll answer any other questions you have about the paint we use or how we go about our work. Contact our friendly office staff at Schwartz and Sons today and let’s talk about the painting plans you have for your home.