Before the season
Coatings are your building's raincoat. Failures show up as water intrusion long before they show up as bad-looking paint.
- Recaulk windows, doors, and control joints.
- Patch hairline stucco cracks and spot-prime.
- Check the underside of soffits and the tops of parapet walls — the places nobody inspects.
- Refresh horizontal wood surfaces, which take the most water.
After a storm
Rinse salt spray off painted surfaces as soon as it is safe. Photograph any intrusion for your association or insurer, dry the wall fully, then prime with a stain-blocking primer before repainting.