Now that drier weather is here in Southwest Florida, many of us are spending time outside gardening and freshening up the exterior of our houses and commercial buildings. You may have noticed a bit of mold staining on your house or building and thought to yourself, “Well, I guess it’s time to repaint.” However, repainting can be an expensive proposition, and the truth is you may be able to get away with freshening up your home or building with a professional soft wash done by Under Pressure. So unless you’re looking forward to looking at all the paint chips, and painting half a dozen swatches on your house to find the right color, we suggest you look into our house washing services.
Many times a professional power washing can restore the look of a building by removing mold, mildew, dirt, pollutants, and insect nests reviving the original building colors. Aside from having it look better and have more curb appeal, regular power washing maintenance will extend the life of your paint, and prevent mold and mildew build up, which can contribute to health issues.
When you do decide to repaint
But here’s the thing, even if you decide you really do want to repaint your home, you should still give us a call to wash it first. You DO need to wash the house before painting, so that the new coat has the best chance to bond with the undercoat. Because if you don’t pressure wash prior to painting you may be in for an awful surprise, as the new paint will peel in the end. When chalky residues and dirt that weren’t removed in the beginning start to come loose, they’ll take the overlying paint off with it. Painting over a dirty surface does not yield good or long-lasting results.
Not only will professional power washing ensure that dirt is removed, it will also get rid of old paint, mildew, and chalking that you may not be able to see yourself. Chalking is the old paint surface breaking down from years of sunlight exposure. If you lick your thumb, then swipe that over the paint film, odds are you will see a chalky residue on your thumb from your current paint color. If you try to paint over this chalky surface without power washing first, the paint won’t stick properly.
The same thing goes for dirt and dust. You always need a clean surface for paint to stick.
If you see grey spores or green growth on your home, you may have a mildew or mold problem. Professional pressure washing chemicals remove these types of organic growth so that your new paint job lasts. If you paint over mildew or mold, it will grow and eat through your new paint very quickly.
So, yes — you should power wash your house before painting so that the new coat of paint will properly bond to your home exterior. Power washing is the key to ensuring a long-lasting paint job every time. Ideally, you should wait three to four days after the power wash before you begin exterior painting.
Whether you decide to repaint or not, here at Under Pressure, we recommend getting your entire exterior washed every few years as part of the regular maintenance for your home. Before you repaint, or perhaps instead of repainting your exterior, give us a call at Under Pressure at 866-579-6942.
