Use and care of your new exterior paint job

Putting your exterior back in service:

• Exterior paint takes longer to cure than interior paint.  It can take up to seven days for exterior finishes to fully cure. 
• Once the paint has dried to the touch, you can start putting items back in place but refrain from putting items back that will lean against the new paint or stay in contact with it for a prolonged period.  Wait as long as you can before placing items in contact with the paint. 
• Exterior floors should wait at least overnight before you walk on them and a minimum of 24 hours before placing anything on the floor. 72 hours would be much better if practical.
• Keep exterior doors open as long as possible so they do not stick shut against weather stripping.  The longer you can leave them open, the better.  If you close them at night, open them as soon as practical the next day.
• If your windows are painted, like the doors, keep them open as long and as often as practical.  Move them periodically throughout the day for the first week to keep them from sticking.

Care tips for exteriors:

Exterior paint requires very little care to keep it looking good and lasting a long time.  Here are a few tips you can follow to keep it looking good longer:

• Allow air to circulate around your paint.  Keep plants trimmed back from contacting the paint and inhibiting air flow.
• Keep dirt and mildew away by occasionally rinsing off accumulated dirt.  If mildew is a problem, a mild bleach solution will not hurt most paints. Northern exposures and protected areas are more likely to accumulate dirt and mildew. 
• Keep wood surfaces touched up if breaks occur in the film.  Moisture is the #1 enemy of a good paint job.  If paint chips off and moisture is allowed in behind, it will cause further peeling.  Touch ups don't need to be fancy.  You can dab on a little paint with a rag.  The important thing is to keep the wood covered.