Home Exterior Care

Protecting surfaces from their surroundings

Paint and stain do the protecting, but what surrounds them decides how hard they have to work. Posts tagged home exterior care look at the environment right around your house: water from roofs and sprinklers, plants pressed against walls, soil levels and cleaning habits.

Small changes to drainage and landscaping often extend the life of a coating more than any upgrade to the paint itself. Most of them are weekend tasks you can handle without a contractor.

Habits that ease the load

Walk the perimeter after a heavy storm once or twice a year. Watching where water actually goes shows you problems that are invisible on a dry day.

• Keep gutters clear; overflow soaks fascia and stains walls in a single storm.
• Aim downspouts away from the foundation and fence lines.
• Leave a gap between shrubs and siding so walls can dry and air can circulate.
• Keep soil and mulch levels below the bottom edge of siding and trim.
• Use a soft wash for routine cleaning; high pressure can damage both paint and wood.

Related pages

Our pressure washing service includes gentle cleaning methods for painted surfaces, and deck and fence staining addresses the outdoor wood that sits closest to the landscape. For larger properties, see residential painting.