Salt, sun and humidity shorten the life of any paint. These are the real intervals we see in Santa Rosa Beach.
The manufacturer's interval is not the coast's interval
A quality exterior paint promises eight to ten years. Six hundred feet from the Gulf, with salt in the air and direct sun most of the year, that number lands between four and six.
It is not that the paint is bad. It is that the conditions are not the ones on the label.
What shortens the interval
- South and west elevations. They take twice the radiation and usually fail first.
- Proximity to the water. Salt settles and holds moisture against the surface.
- Horizontal surfaces. Railings, sills and caps last about half as long.
How to tell the time has come
There are signs before it looks bad. The paint loses sheen unevenly, chalk comes off on your hand, and the caulk at the joints starts to crack.
Repainting on time costs a fraction of repairing the substrate later.
If you are not sure where your exterior stands, we will inspect it at no charge and tell you honestly whether it has another season in it.
