The soffit on the exterior of your home is often overlooked, yet, an essential feature of your home.
Well-maintained soffits will help you keep pests and water out of your home. One of the maintenance tasks associated with your soffit is painting. While it doesn't need to be done too often, painting soffits is important for keeping it looking fresh and vibrant.
So, what should you know about painting soffits? Keep reading to learn our tips!
Tips That Will Make Painting Soffits Easier
When you paint soffit it shouldn't be approached the same way you would with the rest of your home.
We recommend painting your soffit around once every 3 years. Here are some other tips that will help you with painting soffit:
Prep the Area
When you start painting anything inside or out of your home, it's a good idea to clean it first.
This will help you apply an even coat to the area without any bumps or smears. Since your soffit is located under the lip of your roof, it can gather a lot of mildew and dirt.
So, before painting your soffit, consider power washing it. Power washing the soffit will help you remove mildew if it's present as well as any old paint that is peeling.
Once you've power washed the area, look for any wood pieces that have rotted out. Before you apply fresh paint to your soffit, it's important to remove any other pieces that are in bad shape.
Choose the Right Paint
While you may be able to get away with using inexpensive paint in the house, you'll want to splurge a little bit when you're painting the exterior.
Since the inside of your home is safe from the elements, you won't have to worry as much about paint chipping. Outside, your soffit is being exposed to rain, possibly snow, wind, and humidity.
Prime the Soffit
Before you start painting the soffit, you'll want to prime the area.
Primer is especially important if your soffit isn't in the best shape. The primer will help cover up any areas that are bare, rusted, or have other colors bleeding onto the soffit.
You may want to consider using an oil primer because it won't bleed into your top layer of paint where others may.
Ladder Safety
If you're priming and painting your soffit, you're most likely using a ladder to do so.
If you have the option, choose an aluminum ladder rather than a fiberglass ladder. Aluminum ladders are easier to work with.
Before you climb onto the ladder and start working, make sure your ladder is stable and level. Find some flat ground to set it on so it doesn't tilt as you're painting.
Are You Ready to Paint Your Soffit?
Painting soffits is pretty easy once you get all the steps down.
Remember to prep the area, use a quality paint, and set up the ladder safely and you'll have no problem.
If you found this article helpful, check out our other blog posts!
