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A fresh coat of paint can rejuvenate and protect your exteriors

A fresh coat of paint is the most inexpensive way to transform, revitalize and protect your building’s exterior. As a facility manager, you are responsible for one of the most important elements of your company’s image – the building and its surrounding assets. Painting can rejuvenate and protect your exteriors, providing “curb appeal” that is essential for making a great impression on your customers.

When it is time to spruce up the building’s appearance, protect your facility from the elements or even change the color, it is best to utilize the services of a professional Exterior Services Management® (ESM) company. Exterior painting is often a complex procedure due to the numerous environmental and man-made elements to which a facility’s exterior are exposed. The right preparation, superior materials and quality workmanship are also essential to achieve a paint job that delivers enduring quality and protection. An ESM company will be licensed, bonded, insured and well-trained in a variety of exterior services. They can effectively coordinate the planning and implementation of all activities in the painting process – from paint selection, to preparation and completion.

THE INSPECTION
Prior to initiating any exterior painting job, it is critical that an inspection of the facility’s exterior be performed. Buildings exhibit a variety of exterior paint surface conditions, which often serve as indicators of further underlying problems; therefore, accurate identification of surface conditions and any paint problems is critical for determining appropriate solution and a successful job.
Problems occur most frequently in areas with high levels of direct sunlight, constant shade, water collection, or other highly exposed places such as doorways, corners, window sills, door sills, edges, rooflines, etc.
The chart below identifies some common problematic surface conditions, possible causes and corrective procedures to reverse any damage.

Problematic Surface Conditions	Possible Causes	Corrective Procedures
Peeling: Loss of paint due to poor adhesion. Peeling may involve some or all coats.	• Moisture penetration through uncaulked joint • Worn caulk or leaks • Excess moisture in exterior walls • Inadequate surface preparation • Low-quality paint • Applying an oil-based paint over a wet surface • Previous blistering of paint	Identify and eliminate moisture source. Use scraper, sander or wire brush to remove all loose paint. Remove old, loose, cracked caulk; seal and re-caulk any seams, cracks, joints, etc. with a top quality paintable caulk. Prime as needed and repaint.
Cracking/Flaking: Splitting of the dry paint film. Initially appears as hairline cracks, but later paint chips flake off.	• Low quality paint • Over-thinning or spreading paint too thin • Improper surface preparation • Painting in cool or windy conditions that makes latex paint dry too quickly	Cracking in small areas may be corrected by removing loose or flaking paint, priming bare areas and repainting. Cracking over large surface areas requires removal of all paint by scraping, sanding or pressure washing. Prime and repaint.
Blistering: Bubbles under the paint film that result from localized loss of adhesion and lifting of the paint film from the underlying surface. Occurs most frequently on wood.	• Water penetration • Rain • Dew • Extremely high humidity levels • Application to hot surface • Inadequate surface preparation • Low quality paint	Remove blisters by sanding or scraping. Prime the surface and repaint.
Chalking: Fine powder formed on the paint film surface during weathering that can cause color fading. Some chalking is a normal, but excessive film erosion can result in heavy chalking.	• Oil-based paints tend to chalk more than latex formulations • Use of a low-grade, highly pigmented paint • Some factory-finished siding • Use of interior paint on exteriors • Inadequate sealing of porous surface • Over-thinning a coating or spreading the paint too thin	Remove chalk by washing or pressure washing the surface with an appropriate cleaner. If some chalk remains, then wash again for complete removal; scrubbing may be necessary. Rinse well with clear water and allow to dry thoroughly. Using higher-quality acrylic coatings provides the best resistance to chalking.
Alligatoring: Patterned cracking on paint film surface that resembles an alligator’s scales. Typically, these cracks do not expose the substrate.	• Application of an extremely hard rigid coating over a more flexible coating • Applying top coat before the undercoat is dry • Natural aging of oil-based paints as temperatures fluctuate	Scrape surface to remove old paint. Pressure washing or a heat gun followed by sanding can be used on large surfaces. Prime and repaint.
Fading: Probably the most common problem occurring with aging paint is fading.	• Chalking of the coating • Constant direct sunlight that changes the paint’s chemical composition • Can lead to other problems such as cracking or warping of wood	Prime and repaint
Mildew: Black, gray, or brown spots on the surface of paint or caulk.	• Fungi feeding on nutrients contained in the paint film or on dirt adhering to any surface, especially in damp, shaded areas receiving little or no sunshine	Clean surface, allow time to dry completely and paint over the substrate that contained mildew. Change the environment that is contributing to fungal growth - prune foliage that blocks sunshine, check for proper drainage, etc. Use specially formulated "mildew-resistant" primer and finish coats.