Simply put, look at your paint job as an investment. Just like a car, your paint job needs to be maintained over the years. Surface preparation is key to longevity of a paint job. For example, if the exterior of your home or deck is recently painted, take the time to budget having it power washed every two years. This will remove foreign objects such as dust and mildew from the building and maintain the durability of the paint job. Dark colors need to be maintained as they fade drastically over time. When peeling of paint is at the beginning stages, contact a local paint contractor. This will eliminate preparation costs. In this day in age every penny counts.