Paint is Protection – How Paint Can Protect your building

As spring rolls in with blossoms and terrific thunderstorms, the weather in Houston is warming up and the dog days of summer are just around the corner. As a property manager or owner, knowing how our weather patterns in the Houston area affect your building is important to protecting it. Paint serves as a protective barrier between your surfaces and elements that cause deterioration. To better understand how paint works to protect your building from decay, the experts at Streamline Painting & More have simplified and explained how and why paint is protection for your building.

Damage Repair and Prevention

As time goes by, general wear and tear on your building is a natural process that cannot be avoided. Depending on what your building is used for, you may notice signs that your building develops weak points and will require attention. The simplest way to detect areas that need repair is to take a walk around your building and look for signs of damage. Professional painting contractors offer this service for free as part of their consultation. 

Once areas are identified as needing repair, making these adjustments right away is the best way to prevent further damage from happening. By having regular inspections of your building, you’ll be able to notice these areas of concern before they become major issues. Once repairs are made, paint is used as a barrier to prevent future damage.

Weather Protection

The harsh elements we experience in the Bayou City take their toll on exterior painted surfaces. Paint is designed to act as a shell of protection on surfaces, creating a strong barrier. Over time, this barrier is broken down and can begin to chip, crack, bubble, and peel off surfaces, creating openings and weak points in its protection of your building. Weather patterns in particular are the main culprits for breaking down paint on surfaces.

Rain, sleet, and — as we experienced this year —  snow all mean moisture in the air and on exterior surfaces of your building. Any form of precipitation breaks down paint on surfaces and can remain on your building. Eventually, moisture can find these weak points in your paint and lead to future damage that we will detail later on. 

Mold & Rot Protection

If you’ve put off painting your exterior, the recent storms could have caused water to seep into the surfaces of the building. While paint is designed to repel moisture, if unattended it can actually hold and trap moisture underneath your surfaces. This can lead to major issues like mold or rot.

Rotting, especially in wood, can compromise the integrity of your building. Weakened boards will need to be repaired, or even removed and replaced before paint can be applied. Mold is another issue that can affect the quality of air inside your building. Some molds will impact the health of those who spend time in your building and can be expensive to treat and remove. Painting regularly and inspecting for wet spots around your building is the best way to prevent any moisture from collecting on your building.

Sun Protection

Sun exposure also has a negative impact on the integrity and general lifespan of paint. Direct sunlight means harmful UV rays fading the original paint color and leaving a chalky appearance or a dull-looking finish. Brighter colors like reds, blues, and yellows are more likely to fade in direct sunlight, so most building owners choose neutral colors for large parts of their buildings with accents of brighter colors throughout. 

You may notice uneven fading from the sun on western and southern facing surfaces since they get the most sun exposure. Any wood materials can begin to dry out and warp or even crack. High-quality paints or stains with minimal or no fillers are always recommended by professionals to ensure that your finish will stand up against sun exposure for as long as possible. 

Pest Protection

One major problem building owners and operators try to avoid is pests. Insects, birds, and other critters are constantly trying to find shelter from the elements and your building may be prime realty for these pests. Once established, pests can be hard to remove from your building. 

A simple solution to your potential pest problem is caulking to seal any cracks in corners and openings, and then painting over to seal it in. This is especially important around windows and doors to make sure they are sealed well so that bugs can’t find their ways inside. Your building’s specific pest problem can also be mended by a color update. Interestingly, the color choice of your building can actually deter pests. Mosquitoes and most birds are deterred by shades of white, while other insects like cockroaches tend to avoid blues and greens. 

Investment Protection

By choosing high-quality paints and stains you will be able to go longer in between paint touch-ups and projects. While higher quality typically means a higher price-point, painting with superior materials means fewer applications and ultimately more savings in the long term.

Many building owners are taking the steps to schedule a consultation, and are setting up exterior paint projects for their building within the next few months to beat the summer heat. If your building hasn’t had a painting treatment within the last 5-10 years you should schedule a free consultation to see if a paint update is needed, because paint is protection.

Streamline Painting & More is ready and eager to help you make your spring and summer exterior painting projects come to fruition. Our team of professional painters has the experience and reputation around Houston to deliver quality work at reasonable rates.