Even the best paint jobs on your home’s exterior won’t last forever. The simple fact is that your home faces all types of things that can lead to wear and tear of the paint job. Some of these are avoidable with effective maintenance and preparation, so here are the four things that cause the most wear and tear on your home’s exterior paint:

Sunlight

The sun is possibly the biggest cause of wear and tear to a property’s paintwork, namely the UV rays that contribute to fading of the paint. Even just a few years often leads to the paintwork significantly fading from it’s original quality, reducing the overall vibrancy of your home’s exterior. Wear and tear from the sun also depends on the general position of your home and the climate you live in. For instance, shaded areas are going to be less faded compared to unshaded areas, while regions with long days of sun will see the paint fade much quicker than other climates.

Moisture and Humidity
As you may have guessed, the natural elements are the main factors behind wear and tear of exterior paintwork, with moisture and humidity being two of the main offenders. Moisture is certainly the worse of the two, with rain, snow, sleet, and ice all causing paint to become damaged over time. When moisture is present from high humidity or frequent rainfall, it gets between the layer of paint and the wall, which continues to expand and contract as the weather changes. Over time, this causes the paint to slowly seperate from the surface of the walls, causing significant amounts of damage to the paintwork.

Mold and Mildew
While not persistent in every region of the country, homes in coastal and heavily forested areas are susceptible to damage from organic growth such as mold and mildew. When combined with moisture and humidity, these growths can cause serious damage to the exterior paint. The main issue with such growths is they are almost impossible to get rid of. With other wear and tear you can generally fix the issue by repainting the problem areas, but mold, mildew or fungi can’t be dealt with so easily. Instead, you need to thoroughly clean the exterior with a power washer and sanitizer solution, which can also damage the paintwork, not to mention cost a lot to get done.

Air Pollutants
There are various airborne pollutants that also cause damage to your home’s exterior paint. For example, in coastal areas there is a high volume of salt in the air, which causes crystals to develop on the surface of the paint, eventually causing peeling and flaking.
In heavily urbanized areas there are pollutants from traffic, manufacturing, and various other sources that can corrode and deteriorate exterior paint.