Tips for Painting the Coastal Home

Painting the coastal home poses a unique set of challenges for homeowners. Waterfront homes have to endure extreme conditions, such as high humidity, strong winds, high content of salt, and intense ultraviolet sun rays. A lasting coastal paint job requires thorough preparation and high-quality products. Otherwise, you can’t expect your home exterior to withstand the brunt of the intense summer sun, salt spray, and other harmful impacts.

Find the best products for painting a coastal home

Painting is part of regular home maintenance. Like everything else, paint needs to be redone after a certain period. Obviously, you want that period to be as long as possible. How soon you’ll have to repaint your home depends heavily on the quality of paint you pick. As mentioned, coastal homes are subject to conditions that most inland homeowners don’t need to worry about. That is why buying quality paints for your home’s exterior is crucial. Have in mind that they cost more than standard paints but they’re worth their price. Don’t choose economy- or contractor-grade paint if you want to achieve maximum paint durability.

Experts recommend acrylic latex paints

A few decades ago, oil-based topcoats had a long lifespan. Painting contractors who specialize in painting coastal homes rarely used anything but oil-based paint because it provided better protection compared to latex paint. Nowadays, people complain that oil-based paints don’t last nearly as long. Unlike oil-based paints, acrylic latex paints have improved over the years. Not only do latex paints do a better job, but they also last longer and look better. They have improved so much that a touch-up won’t be necessary for about 5 years.

Visit a local paint store

Usually, local paint stores offer better quality than department stores and home improvement stores. Also, their personnel often have more knowledge of paint products since that is the only type of product they sell. So, when you go to a paint store, ask for professional assistance. Discuss your needs and follow their advice for picking the most suitable products. They can help you choose the right paint color, too. If you’re not happy with the available choice of colors, they can mix colors for you. With a fresh, unique color, you’ll make your waterfront home sparkle and stand out from the rest.

Do the prep work before painting the coastal home

No matter how good the paint is, it won’t last long unless you properly prepare the surface. Prep work is key to a paint job well done. Improper prepping can significantly shorten the lifespan of the paint job, no matter where the home is located. This part of the job can be demanding and time-consuming but it is necessary, especially when painting the coastal home. When it comes to coastal homes, the prep work requires special attention and includes more steps than it does inland. 

Before painting the inside of your coastal home, you need to get your belongings out of the way. prtabox.com can help you find the best storage solutions. Then, protect the floor and other surfaces you can’t move with drop cloths and tape. 

Paint durability and the amount of prep work depend on the wood choice, among other factors. A lot of water view homes are made with pine or cedar. Cedar is becoming a more popular choice because it stands up to the elements and holds paint better than pine. 

Wash the surface

First, you need to get rid of the mildew and dried salt that constantly attack the exterior of coastal homes. High winds that come from every direction leave a film of dry salt. Applying paint over dry salt is not a good idea because it won’t adhere well, nor will it last long. Fortunately, salt can be removed easily with a good wash. Coastal homes are also more susceptible to mildew, as it thrives in high-humidity areas. If you have irrigated lawns or bushes planted close to the house, controlling humidity and mold is even harder. Sometimes, using acrylic with a mildewcide additive isn’t enough. 

We recommend dissolving powdered TSP (trisodium phosphate) in a mixture of household bleach and water (50:50) to take care of mildew. This solution also removes salt from the home’s exterior. How much TSP you’ll need depends on how dirty the surface you’re cleaning is. It is advisable to begin with a smaller amount and add more if necessary.

Apply the primer

As soon as the wait is over and the washing is dry, you can apply the primer, which serves as an undercoat – a preparatory coat applied before painting the coastal home. Primer should smooth out wood grain on new wood and help with imperfections on older wood. You can apply an oil-based primer the day after washing if the wood is new. In case it’s a second or third coat of acrylic latex paint, start to paint an hour or so after the wash. 

Extra tips

To prevent moisture from getting into the wood, back-prime all trim boards and apply a coat of finish paint on the back of them as well. The end grain can also be a problematic area. The wood easily soaks up moisture, which causes the trim boards to rot near the end grain. You should seal the end grain with a marine-grade epoxy to keep the wood from soaking up water. It is also important to sand every surface between two coats of paint to help paint adhere to it.

Remember to watch the weather forecast. A single storm can cover the entire coastal home in salt. If necessary, store the equipment in a safe unit and wait for the right weather conditions. If there is a blow between two coats, wash the surface before adding the second coat.

All these steps may add more time and expenses, but for a very good reason. Fixing a poorly done paint job will cost you even more. In conclusion, if you invest more money and effort the first time you’re painting the coastal home, you will reduce costs in the long run.