5 Tips To Prevent Your Home's Exterior Paint From Fading

Posted on: 12 May 2022

When you repaint the exterior of your home, it's an investment you want to last for many years. But for many houses, the first sign of wear is fading. How can you reduce fading and help protect your beautiful paint selection for longer? Here are five valuable tips to apply.

1. Use Good Quality Paint. Modern paint technology continues to improve and fight the common challenges exterior paint faces. However, to take advantage of these improvements, you shouldn't skimp on getting the best quality you can find. Cheap paint generally means you'll get what you pay for.

2. Add Reflective Features. Paint comes in a variety of reflective levels. Matte is the least reflective while glossy paint is the most reflective. Inside the house, these differences have more to do with aesthetics and some stain-fighting abilities. But on the exterior, glossier paints help bounce those UV rays away from the paint and reduce their fading tendencies.

3. Avoid Dark Shades. The decision to paint the walls a dark or light shade is unique to each homeowner. However, if fading is a primary concern, dark shades may not be the best choice. The deeper the color, the more easily any fading will be noticeable. You can counter this with the right paint, but lighter neutrals will generally always look less faded for longer. 

4. Use Inorganic Pigment. What pigments make up the colors in your paint? Pigment is either an organic source or an inorganic, chemical compound. Inorganic pigments — often featuring minerals, metals, and metallic salts — hold up better against UV rays, so these are a better choice to resist fading. Some paints use a mixture of the two to achieve the right look while including the fade-resistance of inorganic material. 

5. Use More Coats. While a lot of paint today is designed to need fewer coats for faster results and less work, you may want to go the extra mile with layering. The addition of another coat can help reinforce the color of the paint as a whole. This extra layering prolongs the point at which enough paint will fade to be visible to the casual observer. 

Where to Start

Fight fading by consulting with experienced exterior home painting services. They can help you find the best route based on their experience as well as their knowledge of local weather and sun conditions. Call today to get started on your own project. 

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