Can You Paint Soffit?

The easy answer is yes, you can paint soffit. In fact, painting your soffit will prolong it’s lifespan and provide better protection for your home. However, when doing so you have to be mindful of some things. A misinformed painter could do some serious harm to your home if they aren’t careful.

Do Not Clog Soffit Vents

Do your soffit vents look like this? We unfortunately see this all the time. When we walk around homes giving painting quotes, we are trained to look for clogged soffit vents. Through the years, we have heard nightmares of people who had extensive damage done to their home caused by soffit vents that were painted shut. This isn’t necessarily the fault of a painting contractor as many painters probably don’t even know that this can be a problem. At Elite Pro Painting we always try to identify soffit vents that have been painted shut on homes and businesses. We understand that without proper ventilation in attics:

1. Mold can easily form
2. Heating and cooling bills can rise
3. Homes can be structurally warped or damaged

We always bring this problem to the homeowner’s attention so that we can help provide a solution. If you have this problem, give us a call and let us see if we can help.  Many times this is a quick and inexpensive fix.

Painting Different Types of Soffit

Homes come in all forms and fashions these days, which is a good thing! However this also means that painters like us need to understand exactly what we’re working with. When it comes to soffit and fascia, we could be dealing with wood, aluminum, uPVC, fiber cement or steel. These are vastly different materials and should be intentionally treated.

Aluminum Soffit

Take aluminum soffit for example. Aluminum is a very nonporous material. This means that if left untreated, it is not very suitable for paint adherence. Before applying paint to aluminum soffit, be sure to clean off all debris from the surface. We recommend using a power washer for this. Once the soffit is dry, make sure you have the appropriate painting products for this situation. A special primer must be applied before spraying aluminum soffits and fascia with paint. You can find aluminum primers at most home improvement retailers. Once the primer is set, apply 2 coats of your exterior paint of choice! Depending on what your soffit is made of, preparations like this may be necessary. We recommend hiring an expert for these types of situations.

Let us Paint Your Soffit

At Elite Pro Painting, we jump at any chance to make something beautiful, especially if we can help a neighbor! If you need painting done in the Indianapolis area, give us a call and we’ll give you a free quote.