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How to Keep Exterior Paint From Fading

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keep exterior paint from fading

It’s a sad fact – any exterior paint is going to fade over time. That doesn’t mean you have to accept this reality. There are things you can do to keep exterior paint from fading on your house or office building.

What Causes Exterior Paint to Fade?

Painters in Philly note that there are many reasons why the paint on the exterior of your house fades.

There is a natural fading process. Paint wears or fades over time. The pigments in the paint responsible for holding the color break down over time. Fade-inducing factors include heat, oxygen, light, and ozone.

Colorado is blessed with nearly three hundred days of sunshine. While this is one of the state’s most appealing features, it is very hard on painted surfaces. High temperatures of summer heat and exposure to sunlight are hard on exterior paint.

Exterior paints have an even greater challenge. The sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays fade objects it hits. The sun burns grass, trees, and skin. These same rays fade the color pigment by leaching the chemical bonds in the paint.

Other harsh weather conditions also present a challenge for exterior paint. Just as Colorado experiences many days of sunlight and high temperatures in the summer, the state also has cold temperatures, rain, wind, and winter ice, and snow.

residential house with fresh paint job

Why Worry About Fading Exterior Paint?

If you are getting ready to sell your home or business, there is a lot you can do to increase its value with some paint notes HGTV.

Curb appeal gives buyers the first impression of your property whether you are selling the building or you want to attract potential customers to your place of business. How your building looks is the buyers’ first impression. It tells them what to expect when they go inside.

Curb appeal is a powerful marketing tool. Prospective customers are 90% more likely to look inside your home or business if the Wow factor of the exterior is high. Faded exterior paint can seriously affect first impressions. Studies show that a well-maintained exterior adds to its resale value and increases interest by buyers.

Even if you aren’t trying to sell your home, you want your neighbors to value your presence in the community. Keeping the exterior well maintained, clean, and tidy can go a long way toward neighborhood goodwill.

There are several reasons besides curb appeal to protect the exterior surface of your home or office.

Painted surfaces with a fresh look make your home or office look great. This makes a positive impression on neighbors who will strive to make their own homes look good, too. A well-maintained home makes the homeowner and the other residents in that home feel good about themselves and their home. When your home or office looks sharp, you feel more confident and optimistic.

Fresh quality exterior paint provides an added layer of protection from weather, insects, and dust. It can prevent exterior wood from rotting. This cuts down on home repair costs and protects your investment.

A good coat of paint allows the building owner to see repair issues like mold, mildew, rotting wood, water stains, bubbling or peeling paint. You can then catch these while they are still easy to repair.

painting faded exterior of house

How to Keep Exterior Paint From Fading

Given factors like the amount of sunshine and temperature extremes, there will always be some fading of the paint on the exterior of your home or commercial property.

Oxygen, ozone, heat, and light are a natural part of our atmosphere. That said, there are ways to slow the fading process.

Paint Quality

The type and quality of the paint you use is a contributing factor to fading. How the paint is mixed also affects fading.

Select high-quality paint that best repels those UV rays. Make sure you are using paint specifically intended for exterior surfaces. Exterior paints are of higher quality than those intended for indoor painting. They contain chemicals that reduce fading from the sun’s UV rays.

Paint Sheen

Writer, Lee Wallender of The Spruce recommends you pay attention to paint sheen.

Sheen refers to both the appearance and the quality of the paint on the exterior of your home. There are four basic paint sheen categories: flat or matte, satin or eggshell, semi-gloss, and high-glass. Because of a high sheen is glossy. Think of it as a mirror. The higher the gloss, the more sunlight reflects off it. Flat or matte finish paint absorbs light. So what does this mean? Choose higher gloss paints because they reflect the sun’s rays. Matte or low-sheen paints absorb those UV rays. This hastens fading.

However, there is another issue to consider regarding high-gloss paints. Usually, painting professionals use the highest gloss paints only for around windows and doors. These areas are washed frequently whereas the larger exterior surfaces are not. For those large areas, painters most often choose semi-gloss. High-gloss paints show imperfections. On metal or wood siding, high-gloss paints show every bump and imperfection.

Bottom line? The quick answer regarding sheen is to choose satin or eggshell for your home’s exterior. It is easier to maintain and presents an esthetically pleasing appearance.

Paint Color

Now, let’s talk color. You may think it doesn’t affect fading. You’d be wrong. The color you choose is important. Yellow, orange, red, dark green, and dark blue paints absorb more light. This speeds up fading. Choose lighter colors. They do not fade as fast. Spearpaint explains

Don’t mess with the manufacturer’s shades. When you add tint to the paint, you increase the likelihood of its fading. Don’t darken colors.

Choose inorganic colors like earth tones. Beige, brown, and tan are less likely to fade like organic colors including shades of reds, blues, greens, and yellows. Learn more about color choices from our guide on the best exterior paints for your home.

Improved Technology

If you had painted the exterior of your home or business a decade ago, the paint would have most likely have faded by 79% in that ten-year period. On average, the exterior paints of ten years ago held their elasticity for only seven to ten years. Paint faded about 7% a year.

However, today’s exterior paints are more fade-resistant. Their chemical makeup has improved. Primers are an important part of the fading reduction. Using paint with built-in UV protection has cut the 7% annual fade rate to somewhere between one and three percent.

There are paint choices today that combat fading. Satin, lifetime coatings resist fading. Selecting an exterior paint that protects from fading and resists dirt is a good start. Products like BEHR Marquee exterior paint and primer protect from fading and resist dirt.

prevent paint from fading on house

How Can Colorado Painting Help?

For years, the experienced, skilled professionals at Colorado Painting have proudly provided high-quality painting services in the Denver Metro Area. As a local business, we know the challenges of Colorado weather.

We are eager to work with our residential and commercial clients to meet unique customer needs.

For a free estimate and to discuss your paint needs, give us a call at (303) 574-1740.

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Dan M.Dan M. ★★★★★ I can sum up their work in one word, "Outstanding!". Was super surprised the pride they take in their work. Worth every penny. Dan MCarl F.Carl F. ★★★★★ I would highly recommend Colorado Commercial & Residential Painting. They were very easy to work with during the process of getting the exterior of our house painted. From start to finish, they kept in regular communication with us. They were patient as we worked through the selection of the color palette and moving it through the HOA approval process. Once the project started, we received updates several times a day. And Trevor, the owner, stopped by several times to check in with us. Leo and the crew did an excellent job with all facets of the painting and staining process.Richard KRichard K ★★★★★ CCRP were very easy to work with at all the steps along the estimate-schedule-paint-pay process. They did a great job - each home owner is so happy with the results. They took great care in the painting, put thought into addressing issues, and gave solid, quick estimates for new work to address additional issues. I will definitely be using them again!John B.John B. ★★★★★ Ben, Osmond, and his team did an outstanding job. They did an excellent job prepping and had every inch of the hardwood floor covered as well as cabinets, lights, etc. I would highly recommend Colorado Painting to anyone wanting high quality painting and a very personable and professional team. There were a few very slight spots to fix (mostly due to the colors we chose) and they came out and resolved the issues very quickly. Great job!Marcus GMarcus G ★★★★★ Really great job on painting the trim of my house! Leo and the crew paid attention to detail and Ben was super communitive throughout the process. The job really modernizedmy house from 1949! Definitely will use for other projects.Elizabeth “Liz” F.Elizabeth “Liz” F. ★★★★★ They were on time and did a great patch up work on the shed would use them again for any big painting projects!Elizabeth “Liz” F.Elizabeth “Liz” F. ★★★★★ They were quick, on time and did an amazing job on my shed!MIND FRAME C.MIND FRAME C. ★★★★★ CCRP does great work! My wife and I are very pleased with the quality of their work and their top-tier customer service. Their crew treated our home like it was their top priority. We’ll definitely be using them againfred G.fred G. ★★★★★ This is the second time I have used Colorado Commercial Painting and I have to say both experiences were excellent. From the sales team to the painting crew, everything was great. Everyone was professional and knowledgeable. I had the interior and exterior painted. The painting crew were professional and efficient. They took pride in their work and made sure everything was done correctly. They also took care to protect the things that were not being painted. I will be using them again and I highly recommend them if you are looking for quality painting.Kelly A.Kelly A. ★★★★★ We really enjoyed working with CCRP to paint the exterior of our home! Everyone we worked with from the quoting and scheduling, to the painting and repair of our home was friendly, helpful, and clearly communicated each step of the project. Ben was an awesome project manager and Leo and his team did an outstanding job painting- everything was done beautifully and meticulously. We couldn't have been happier with the end result!Stephen L.Stephen L. ★★★★★ Simply the best, couldn't be happier with the job!Andrea H.Andrea H. ★★★★★ The team did a great job. I am very happy with their work. They went above and beyond to do some repair jobs first and they even got on the roof and painted the cupola! THANKS!DepressoDepresso ★★★★★ Great people. fast but Quality Work, Very good explanation of what theyre doing.Carly B.Carly B. ★★★★★ They did excellent work and the whole team was very nice and easy to work with.Katherine T.Katherine T. ★★★★★ Great communication, fair pricing, and a great looking finished product! We had two sections of unevenly faded siding on the south-facing gables of our house. They did a great job matching the color and made it easy to get the work we needed done.Hannah B.Hannah B. ★★★★★ Great work by the team. We were able to walk through everything with the project manager beforehand and the team that painted did a wonderful clean job on our home.Hoppy M.Hoppy M. ★★★★★ 1. Sales process was straightforward with detailed explanation2. Project managers were great at communicating updates and keeping in touch3. Painters worked very hard and did a fantastic job bringing a vision to life - complete with paint, lime wash, and a bright door!We love how our house come out!Bart D.Bart D. ★★★★★ Kevin and his Team was one of the most professional groups I have worked with over my design and build career in the business for 36 years now. Their care for meeting all aspects of design intent and attention to every detail for quality was superior.We are in development with our next project of 12 units in Colorado and look forward to working together on each.One time, on budget and high quality work was the best results we could ask for and they achieved at the highest levels.SincerelyBart DeLorenzoDeLorenzo ProductionsJason D.Jason D. ★★★★★ They did amazing and they were very professional. They addressed any and all questions in a timely manner. Thank you againRobert TRobert T ★★★★★ Very easy to work with and expert results. I was impressed that they did the whole job in one day including some serious prep work. Lots of scraping and caulking. The house looks great with all the boards tightened up and the new coat of paint. Would recommend CCRP without hesitation.js_loader
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