Protect your home from the Kamloops weather

The weather in Kamloops can swing wildly from one extreme to the other. From the damaging rays of the sun, to the bitter wet and cold, your home can take a beating. Over the years, the exterior of your home will wear down, decks will peel and crack, siding will also peel, fade, and crack or "cup" depending on the type of substrate.

The U.V. rays from the sun will degrade the painted surface on your house, when this happens it's time to re-paint so you can protect one of your biggest investments. Kamloops get's some intense sun and heat in the summers. Keeping up on painting the exterior of your house can add years and years of longevity to siding, trim, soffits and doors. Typically you will want to re-paint every 5-7 years.

Using a high quality paint is crucial. Remember, cheap paint is cheap for a reason. They won't have the same amount of solids, they won't have the U.V. inhibitors, they won't have the same amount of colour retention and they wont last as long.

When painting over raw wood it is best practice to use an oil base product as this will penetrate and adhere the best. Water based primers can flake and peel as they dont adhere to wood as well. For your top coat, go with a high quality water based exterior latex or a hybrid solid stain. This will give you optimal colour retention, flexibility, and durability. If painting vinyl siding, remember you must choose "vinyl safe colours". If you choose something too dark it will absorb too much heat and will warp your siding.

When painting a deck or patio you will want to stick with the same rule of thumb. Always prime with an oil base product, thinned down around 10% with mineral spirits so it can really penetrate the wood. We prefer to top coat with solid stain, these products are highly durable and come with great guarantees. When choosing a paint for your project we highly recommend going to a proper paint supplier like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore and talking with a qualified sales representative. They will have the knowledge you need to pick the right product for your project.

If you're choosing to stain with a transparent or semi transparent stain, these will give you a beautiful natural look to the wood. But be aware that these finishes do not weather as well as paint or solid stain and will need a lot more up keep, or "maintenance coats". Depending on the amount of weather exposure it could be every 1-2 years. These stains can't be beaten for the look they provide on a new deck or gazebo, but that beauty comes with a trade off.

If you are still unsure of how or what to do, you can check out our Master Class. We can help you with whatever project you might be wanting to get done. Head on over to our Contact

page and send us a message.