What Is the Best Exterior Paint for Coastal Homes and Cedar Shingles?

Meta Title: Best Exterior Paint for Coastal Homes in Rhode Island

Meta Description: Looking for the best exterior paint for coastal homes? Learn what holds up to salt air, plus how to paint or stain cedar shingles.

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For coastal homes, the best exterior paint is usually a high quality, 100 percent acrylic latex made for exterior use. It stays flexible, resists moisture, and holds up better to sun and mildew than many lower grade paints. Salt air, rain driven by wind, and damp summers are hard on paint, so prep matters as much as the product. Cedar shingles, which are common on the Rhode Island shore, need extra care too. Here is what to look for in paint for coastal homes and how to protect cedar shingles.

What Coastal Weather Does to Exterior Paint

Salt in the air can settle on siding and trim and hold moisture against the paint. Wind pushes rain sideways into joints and edges. Humid air feeds mildew, especially on shady walls. Sun adds fading and chalking on top of all that.

Together, these things can break paint down faster than they do inland. Paint on shoreline homes may start to peel, chalk, or grow mildew sooner. Rinsing off salt and checking your home each year helps a lot. Small spots are much easier to fix than a whole wall.

What to Look for in the Best Exterior Paint for Coastal Homes

Start with the type of paint. Look for a 100 percent acrylic latex labeled for exterior use, since it stays flexible as wood and siding swell and shrink. Check that the label lists mildew resistance. Pick a product from a maker you trust, and read the label for any notes about coastal or high moisture use.

Prep is just as important as the paint. Salt, dirt, and loose paint keep new paint from sticking. Here is what good prep looks like:

• Rinse the walls with fresh water to remove salt and dirt
• Scrape and sand loose or peeling paint
• Repair or replace rotted wood
• Prime bare wood and patched spots
• Caulk gaps and seams so water cannot get in

We handle all of these steps at Catanzaro & Sons, including the carpentry repairs that wet coastal homes often need. Our crews work in shoreline towns like Barrington, Bristol, and Warren, so we see what salt and weather do to paint. Learn more about our exterior painting services.

How to Paint or Stain Cedar Shingles

Cedar shingles can be painted, stained, or left to weather to a soft gray. Each choice changes how much upkeep the home needs. Paint forms a film on top of the wood. Stain soaks in, so it is less likely to peel, and it is often easier to refresh later.

Cedar has natural oils, called tannins, that can bleed through paint and leave brown stains. A stain blocking primer made for cedar helps stop that. New shingles do best when they are primed on all sides before they go up, since water can sneak in from behind. Let new wood dry out before you coat it.

Many older shingled homes also need repair work before they are ready for a new finish. Our guide to old house restoration covers what that can involve. If your home is older, it is worth a read.

Conclusion

The best exterior paint for coastal homes is usually a quality 100 percent acrylic latex made for exterior use, applied over careful prep. Salt, wind, and moisture are hard on paint, so rinse, repair, and prime before you paint. Cedar shingles need a stain blocking primer or a stain made for wood. If you own a shoreline home in Rhode Island and want a plan for it, contact us for a free estimate. We will look at your siding and tell you what it needs.