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Why Exterior Paint Peels and What Good Prep Does Differently

Peeling is the most common exterior paint failure in the Sacramento area. Here is what causes it and what proper prep does to prevent it from happening again.

What Causes Peeling

› Moisture — water behind the paint pushes it off the surface

› Painting over a dirty or chalky surface — the paint never bonded

› Skipping primer on bare wood or repaired areas

› Using the wrong product for the surface or sun exposure

› Painting in the wrong conditions — too hot, cold, or humid

What Good Prep Does

Good prep means scraping all loose paint, cleaning the surface of chalk and dirt, sanding the edges of scraped areas smooth, priming all bare wood and repaired spots, and re-caulking failed joints. Then a sun-rated exterior paint bonds to a sound surface instead of failing material.

Fixing the Cause, Not the Symptom

If moisture is causing the peel, repainting over it just delays the problem. The moisture source — a failed caulk joint, a leak, or poor drainage — has to be fixed or the new paint peels too. We identify the cause at the estimate, not after the repaint.

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