Here we are at the end of February and up pops the home care and maintenance to-do list once again!  As much as homeowners don’t like to deal with the exteriors of their homes and concrete care, regularly scheduled maintenance truly is a “must do” and absolutely will add to a home’s beauty and longevity.  A lot of our customers call us this time of year with questions about the best time to schedule home exterior painting or concrete projects.  The following is a general guide to help you make that decision.

Exterior Painting/Touch-Up

Given Colorado’s semi-arid climate, painters can paint exteriors year around as long as outside temperatures don’t dip below the mid-40’s in the daytime and through the night.  If it’s time for a complete repaint and you would like it finished before your landscaping begins its spring growth spurt, the time to get a painting bid is NOW!

If you’re not in a hurry and can wait until mid to late summer or fall, give us a call in early July and we can get you on the schedule most any time from July until winter officially begins.

Exterior Concrete Care

Installing concrete overlays or decorative concrete finishes, applying concrete sealers or undertaking a stamped concrete restoration are projects which require stricter scheduling parameters.  All of these finishes are temperature and moisture sensitive.  As a result, and given Colorado’s climate, the earliest concrete work can be scheduled is April or May.  Keep in mind the following requirements, which impact scheduling:

• Overnight temperatures should be consistently above the low 40’s
• The ground must be completely thawed
• The substrate temperature is at least 50 degrees
• The substrate and the finish cannot get wet from frost, rain, or snow for at least 24 hours

Simply stated, protective coatings need to be given the chance to fully cure in order to provide the protection homeowners expect.  Paint dries to the touch in one to four hours, but it won’t reach its full cure until 72 hours after application.  Most concrete sealers need temperatures to be above the low 40’s with no moisture exposure for at least 24 hours to properly dry out and cure.

One final piece of important advice – call us for an estimate as soon as you decide to get your painting or concrete maintenance projects done.   As you might guess, beginning in the middle of March through the end of summer is our busiest time of the year for bid requests.  And, we operate on a first called and bid accepted/first served policy.

We hope to hear from you soon!  Happy Spring!