At Absolute Painting & Power Washing one of the most commonly asked questions we get is why did my last paint job fade so badly? This is a very common question when it comes to exterior painting. It usually happens on the south or west facing sides of your home and tends to be much worse with darker colors.
Was it the painter’s fault that the paint faded? Did they add water to the paint or just do one coat? Was the paint a bad brand or a cheap product? It is a problem with my siding that caused the paint to fade quickly? Did they not prime my home before painting? These are all good questions and possibly had something to do with it.
What I usually tell people is if you choose a very dark color it will fade over time but with the right product choices you can slow the process down. If your home gets no direct sun then you may not even need to be concerned about this. Most of the homes in the Portland area do get some direct sun and it can be scorching in the afternoon.
Typically we notice the fading of colors in the deep blues, reds and greens. Brown will fade as well but it does not seem to be as bad. The darker the color that is used on your home the more toner they had to inject into the paint. The toners are what tends to fail over time and cause your home to not look so great. Some paint manufacturers seem to have better toners than others and this will help resist the fade issue. A good quality paint also helps. If you go to a newer development and look that the homes after a couple years you will likely see the color fade issues. They typically use a low grade paint that fails much sooner.
Take time and do your homework when choosing paint colors and then rely on your painting contractor to help you choose which product is likely to last a long time. At Absolute Painting we are always researching the best products for our customers. If we find a paint is not performing well we will not sell it. Call us with any questions you have on this subject and we are happy to help.
