The exterior of your home is important to maintain, but do you need exterior caulking services before you can paint your home?
It’s important to paint the exterior of your home when the current paint job starts to age. You’ll improve the look and curb appeal of the home, as well as protect it from the weather if you’re using the right kind of paint.
Before you crack open that paint tin though, you’ve got to ensure that you’re caulking your home first.
Here’s why it’s so important to caulk the exterior of your home before you paint it.
1. Improve the Surface Before You Paint
There’s a lot you need to keep in mind before you paint the exterior of your home. You need to ensure that you’ve got a perfect surface to paint on, or the paint job won’t look as good as you want it to.
If there are any cracks or gaps in the facade, you’re going to need to caulk them shut before you get started. It’s vital that you do this, as it creates a smooth surface for you to paint on. Once the house has been painted, you’ll never be able to tell that there was a crack to begin with.
Without exterior caulking, your cracks will continue to be noticeable.
2. Seal Out Pests
Pests are a nightmare for any homeowner. It feels as though no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop them from getting in.
There are ways you can discourage them, from ensuring your home is kept clean to even keeping pets around. However, one way you may not have thought of exterior caulking to fill any cracks and holes that you find.
This is because some pests can get in even the smallest cracks, mice, for example. If you seal those cracks up, you’re stopping them from getting in that way. That’s why it’s an excellent idea to quickly seal up any cracks you find.
3. Improve Curb Appeal
As mentioned earlier, the curb appeal of your home is important. Even if you’re not thinking of selling your home right now, you’ll need to think about how your home looks from the outside.
If you’re keeping on top of the exterior now, it’s going to make your job a lot easier if you’re going to sell later on. Sealing up any holes in the exterior of your home makes your home look much more pleasant overall, something that you’ll want when you put your house on the market.
4. Keep Out Moisture
Moisture is the number one enemy of your home. When it gets in, it causes mold, mildew and rot. It damages your home, leading to costly repairs if you don’t catch them in time. Even worse, it leads to health issues that are dangerous, especially for your children.
What do you do to keep it out?
There are several methods, such as running dehumidifiers and ensuring you have proper ventilation, but have you thought about the cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior?
Those gaps can allow moisture to get into the facade of your home, allowing mold to grow.
- If it gets bad enough, it’ll require you to remove a large portion and have it reinstalled, as the damage can be severe.
- That moisture can get into your home too, causing more problems.
Check the exterior caulking of your home from time to time, sealing up cracks, especially if you’re experiencing wet weather. This will help you keep your home safe. Pair up that caulk with a water repelling paint, and you’ll be able to keep that water out of your home.
5. Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
These days, everyone is looking for ways to reduce their energy usage. Firstly, by reducing energy usage you’re reducing your bills, which makes things a lot easier on your wallet. As well as this, you’ll know that you’re reducing your impact on the environment.
There are countless ways you can do this, from:
- Turning off your AC at night
- Recycling as much waste as possible
- Turning off faucets when you’re not using water
Have you thought about the energy you’re losing through the cracks in your home’s exterior, though? If you’re finding it hard to keep your home cool in summer or warm in winter, then that could be why.
Seal up all those cracks and you’ll see you’ll spend a lot less on heating and cooling your home.
6. Save Money
Most of the problems covered here are going to cost you time and money. That could be due to wasted energy, repair bills, or paying for specialists such as pest control.
All this can be avoided if you ensure you caulk cracks and holes when they appear. It’s amazing how much money you’ll save if you’re vigilant and take care of problems as soon as they crop up.
7. Improve the Comfort Of Your Home
It’s important that you feel comfortable in your home. Cracks in your exterior caulking can cause your home to be less comfy than you’d want it to be. As explored above, they lead to heat leaking out, water coming in, and lots of potential problems that you want to avoid. That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of them.
It’s not hard to caulk them, so if you do as soon as you see them then you’ll avoid many of these issues.
Should You Use Professional Exterior Caulking Services?
There’s nothing wrong with caulking your own home’s exterior when needed. This is especially true if you’re just patching up a couple of small cracks.
If you’re planning on repainting your home though, you’re going to need to call in the experts for their exterior caulking services. Many painting services do offer caulking before they paint, so ask your service if they can do that for you before they get started.
You can see just why you need to get your home exterior caulked and repaired before you paint. It’s not just about improving the appearance of the home, although that’s important.
It’s also vital as it saves you money, keeps you safe, and keeps your home from developing issues down the line.