How to keep your paintwork looking great
Painting is a significant investment in your home, so you need to look after it to get the most out of your investment. With extensive experience in painting some of Auckland’s most beautiful multimillion-dollar homes, Wall Treats Auckland Master Painters know exactly what you need to do, before you paint and afterwards, to keep your paint finish looking great for years to come.
Before you paint
Making sure surfaces are prepared correctly for painting is key, but what goes on also makes a big difference to how long the finish lasts.
Choose the right paint
Do you know about light reflectance value (LVR)? Choosing light paint colours with an LVR of at least 50% or more means your paintwork will last longer. These colours reflect more heat and light than darker paint colours, which means they are less susceptible to heat induced blistering and flaking.
Use the right products
It is so important to use the right paint products and the right painter. You really do get what you pay for, and if a painting quote seems too good to be true, it usually is. Do your due diligence, and only invite reputable painting contractors to quote for your work and insist on using only premium paint products.
After painting
Keep it clean
It is important to look after your home’s new paint finish. Our research tells us that an annual professional house wash, we call it a ‘soft’ wash, can extend the life of the paint coatings by as much as 25 percent - and that is a good return on investment.
It is important to be careful about who you use - we have come across situations where inexperienced house washers have accidentally removed paint. Make sure you find out how experienced they are, what technique they will be using, and if it is appropriate for your finish.
Maintenance
While you need to fully repaint every eight to 10 years, you also need to carry out maintenance work between repainting - and it is critical to keep on top of any repairs.
This is particularly true on timber joinery - in our experience, some form of maintenance work is required every two to three years. The combination of the expected lifetime of putty, condensation, moisture, and wear and tear mean the paint finish on timber joinery is more susceptible to flaking.
Wall Treats Annual Maintenance Programme
At Wall Treats, we want our clients to be able to enjoy their paintwork hassle free, so we developed an annual paint maintenance programme to enable them to keep their homes in pristine condition.
Each year we arrange a house wash carried out by our preferred supplier, and review their house with them to identify any areas that may need a touch up.
When we painted Jocelyn Anso’s St John’s home she joined our programme and has been satisfied with the service. “I appreciate doing the annual walk around with Ashley,” says Jocelyn. “We notice details that I wouldn’t necessarily take the time to do in everyday life; and it ensures that the investment we have made in our house exterior is looked after.”
Wall Treats is an award-winning team of Auckland Master Painters, with many years of experience in delivering precise and lasting exterior paintwork on Auckland’s most beautiful homes. You can book a free, no obligation quote online or by calling us on 0800 008 168.
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