Salt air is brutal on paint. Sodium chloride crystallizes on surfaces, draws moisture into the substrate, and accelerates the breakdown of standard exterior coatings. Most peeling and blistering you see on coastal homes is a prep failure — not a paint failure.
Prep is 70% of the job. Pressure washing alone is not enough; salt residue must be neutralized with a TSP wash and rinsed thoroughly before sanding. Bare wood needs to be dry to under 15% moisture before primer touches it.
Primer choice is critical. We use an oil-based or bonding acrylic primer on bare wood and any chalking surfaces, and a stain-blocking primer over tannin-rich woods like cedar and redwood. Skipping this step is the most common reason exteriors fail at the 3-year mark.
For topcoats, specify a 100% acrylic exterior with built-in mildewcide. On south- and west-facing elevations exposed to the most sun and salt, two finish coats are non-negotiable. With proper prep and the right system, a coastal exterior should hold for 8 to 12 years.
